Breaking Bella
by sixeightshuffle
Summary: Edward Cullen needs to pass Statistics. Bella Swan is his tutor. She thinks he's a flighty, arrogant albeit sexy asshole, and he thinks she's Bipolar, but tries to win her over, anyway. Can he change her mind, or do first impressions really last?
1. Chapter 1: Tutors & 31's

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**Chapter Notes:** This is my first attempt at writing in the Twilight area, so I hope it doesn't suck too bad. I'd like to thank the crap tutoring service at my Community College for giving me the idea, but mainly I want to thank Hannah, because if not for her, I wouldn't have even THOUGHT to write this story, much less actually write it. So thank you, Hannah, for being my motivation and inspiration!

This story is All Human, and the characters are extremely OOC.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight, or any of the characters, obviously. That honor goes to Stephenie Meyer.

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Chapter Song: Live From The Other Side – Don McCloskey

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--EPOV--

Fucking tutoring. What a waste of time and energy. I may be skinny, but walking the quarter of a mile up that 45-degree hill, plus three flights of stairs for absolutely _nothing _is not exactly a welcoming source of exercise.

I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and pressed a button, lighting the screen up to display the time: 3:08 PM. I sighed and put it away. I'd spent more time on the walk up than I did in the actual building.

Fucking HSS. I hated that stupid building.

Math, with the exception of Algebra, was never my strong point. In high school, I'd been fortunate enough to have the same teacher for both Geometry and Trigonometry, and he was more than willing to tutor me in anything I was having difficulties understanding. I did fairly well in those classes and, much to my surprise, I'd scored relatively high on the math portion of the entrance exams, which allowed me to go straight into college-level Statistics. It was only icing on the cake when I realized that, as a Biology major, it was the only math class I'd have to take _**ever again**_. Since I'd done so well on my exams, I'd thought Statistics would be a piece of cake.

I thought wrong.

I wasn't as naïve to think that my math teacher in college would be as amazing as my teacher in High School, but I definitely didn't expect to get one who could barely speak English and completely disregarded any question a student asked, or one who was obsessed with Elephant Seals.

So, here I was, in the beginning of my fourth semester at San Francisco State University, taking Statistics for the _third time_. I'd managed to get through 9 semesters worth of Science in 4, but I could not pass that fucking class for the life of me; a class that wasn't even really MATH! Just words, and weird formulas, and complete _nonsense _that I'd **never **have to use in the real world.

Just the same, this _should _be my last semester as an undergrad, and even though I didn't see the point of this bullshit course, I'd be stuck as an undergrad for the rest of my incompetent life if I couldn't figure out a way to pass it. I'd expressed my worries to my counselor, who suggested I form a study group, or sign up for tutoring the first day of class. Naturally, I opted for the latter of the two. I registered in the tutoring room, was assigned a time, two days, and tutor, starting the following week, and went on my merry way.

Today was _supposed_ to be my first scheduled day of tutoring, so I marched my happy ass up to the Human and Social Sciences building, up the three flights of stairs, and into the tutoring room with my heavy ass book in my backpack, and for what? Absolutely _nothing_, because the dumb as shit tutoring center couldn't even manage to get my schedule right. The whole debacle was a fucking disaster...

_**10 minutes prior...**_

"Do you need help, young man?" an older woman standing next to the unoccupied sign in desk asked me as I sat down, hunched over to catch my breath.

"Yes," I replied, pulling out the paper I received when I signed up. "I'm here for tutoring. It's my first day, so I'm not really sure what I need to do..." I trailed off.

"Oh, all right," she said, taking the paper from my hand. I stood up and looked around the room as she glanced over the paper. "Follow me, then." She walked out the door and into a room directly across the corridor, filled with round tables, tutors and students.

"Just go ahead and sit at one of these tables, then, and wait for somebody who looks like this Edward Callan to come in. Cal...?—yes, Callan." I scrunched up my face in confusion.

"What? No, that's me. I'm Edward. _Cullen_. I _need _tutoring."

"Oh! Well, then, who's your tutor?"

.......

"I'm assuming this person, whose name is next to the word 'tutor'." I replied as calmly as I could, pointing to the highlighted name.

"Oh. Troy Kim. Kim...he must be an oriental, then—"

...Is this bitch for real?

"Is there a Troy Kim in here?" she shouted.

Oh, my god.

A hand shot up and I thanked the woman, took my paper back, and walked towards Troy while shooting apologetic glances at everybody.

"Hi," I said, pulling out a chair and throwing my backpack on the floor. "So, I haven't really gotten too far into the class yet, obviously, but this is the third time I've attempted to take it, and I _have _to pass it this time, so I needed to sign up for tutoring to help me throughout the semester," I rambled, pulling my book out of my bag.

"Wait, what?" he asked, looking at a sheet of paper. "Are you sure you have the right tutor?"

_Okay, maybe the O.G. over there is losing her eyesight, but I'm fairly positive mine is decent enough to see TROY KIM printed and highlighted on the paper, asswipe._

"That's what it says," I said, opening my paper once more and showing him.

"Huh. You're not on my schedule. I have Jasmin Duncan on here for right now," he mumbled, looking at my paper again. "Oh, I see. I don't tutor in math anymore. They must have changed your tutor after you registered. You probably got Bella." I stared at him, raising my eyebrows. "Bella, the one that just walked into the computer lab?"

I shook my head, letting him know I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh, well. Lets go ask," he said, standing up. I grabbed my things and walked behind him, out the door and back into the sign in room. He spoke to the older woman, half of which I couldn't understand, and she turned to me.

"So you don't need math, then? You need Physiology?"

"What? No. I mean, yeah, I need math. I need tutoring in math," I said, exasperated.

"Is this not your tutor?"

"Apparently not. He said he doesn't do math anymore, and I guess I was assigned another tutor and not consulted about it." I scoffed.

"Well who's your new tutor, then?" she asked.

"I don't know!" I half-yelled. I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes, pinched the bridge of my nose, and exhaled deeply. "I don't know," I said again, calmly. "He said you can probably check the computer and see who my new tutor should be."

"Oh, the computer is locked up. I can't get into it."

I stared blankly at her. Another woman walked out of an office door, locking it up.

"Julia, maybe you can help. He needs a tutor," the older lady chirped.

I was seriously debating slamming my head into the wall. Hard.

"_No_," I groaned turning to this _Julia _woman."I already _had _a tutor. I came in last week and signed up, but apparently, the woman didn't realize that the tutor she assigned me was no longer _tutoring _in math, so I'm assuming my new tutor's name is in the computer, but she—" I nodded in the older woman's direction "—can't get into the computer because it's locked."

"Oh. Well, we're closing up for the day, so I don't—can you come back tomorrow between the hours of 8 and 4, and find out then?"

I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling.

_Deep breath in, deep breath out. Deep breath two..._

"I don't know," I said, barely above a whisper.

"Well can you call?"

"Yes. I can call." I replied a little louder, still staring at the ceiling.

"Okay, you should be able to get this taken care of tomorrow, then. I'm sorry about that."

"Uh huh," I muttered as I signed out. I turned around and walked out, down the three flights of stairs, and pushed open the glass door that led to the front of the school.

So there I was, standing in front of the campus, debating whether or not I really felt like walking all the way back to my dorm.

I looked to the right, down the sloped hill, then to left, where crowds of people were crossing the street to and from the MUNI—the city's public rail transit—station. Then, I did it a second time, and a third, and a fourth. Suddenly, I felt my back pocket vibrate. I looked at the screen and smiled; she _would _be calling me right now. I hit the answer button and put the phone to my ear.

"Edward," she started calmly, "cross the street, and get on the MUNI."

"My little psychic." I joked, but started towards the crosswalk as she ordered me to.

"The one and only. Now, what's wrong?" I went into a recount of what had just happened as I crossed the street and waited for the M line to pull up.

"What idiots," she snorted. "I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that crap."

"Well, not all of us are as artistically capable as _you are._" I replied, looking down the tracks on the road and seeing the MUNI start to move past the rail light.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you in twenty."

"Peets?" I asked, plugging my ear as it pulled up.

"Isn't it always?" she answered rhetorically. I heard a beep that signaled the call being disconnected and grinned, shaking my head.

Alice had been my best friend since the day we met when we were nine. I was born in Chicago, where my father, Carlisle, worked as a well-respected Physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He'd enjoyed the big city life, and while my mother Esme didn't mind it, she'd always hoped she would be able to return to her small hometown on the Olympic Peninsula to raise her family with her best friend, Diane McCarty—who had a son named Emmett my age—like they'd always promised to do. So, being the unselfish man my father is, he easily landed himself a job at Forks Memorial Hospital, packed the house up and moved us to Washington.

Three years later, Diane gained custody of her niece, Alice Brandon. She was quiet, reserved, and scared of everybody but me. Although it took a while for her to _really _warm up to me, she trusted me more than anybody else, and that was enough; I knew from day one that it would be worth the wait, and I was right.

Alice never spoke much of why she ended up in Forks, but from what she'd told me, what I'd overheard, and what I'd managed to decipher on my own, she'd always had psychic abilities. Her parents were strict Christians, and believed that anything paranormal was of the devil. They had numerous exorcisms performed on her, took her to many psychiatrists, and when none of that seemed to work, they threw her in a mental asylum—all by the age of eight. When Diane heard of the extent of the situation, she went ballistic and demanded that her sister hand Alice over immediately, or she'd call child protective services, have her and her husband arrested, and get Alice that way. Naturally, that scared Alice's parents, and the same week, Diane and her husband Paul went to Seattle empty-handed, and came back with Alice.

Within the year, adoption papers were sent to Diane and Paul, signed, filed, and Alice was legally their daughter.

Alice became more comfortable over the years with her psychic abilities; nobody ever made her feel inferior because of it. Her brother/cousin, Emmett—who is also one of my best friends as well as my dorm mate—thinks it's completely awesome, and if we tease her about knowing almost _everything _before it happens, it's all in good-hearted fun.

I snapped out of my reverie and looked around for the station sign when I realized we were slowing to a stop. I peered out the doors when they opened and saw it was Forest Hill. People crowded in, grabbing onto the rails above and on the side of them as the doors closed and we began moving again. When I estimated we were close to the Castro station, I pushed my way near the doors. When they opened, I stepped off quickly, making my way towards the stairs and out of the station.

It was only a five minute walk to Peet's Coffee & Tea shop from the Castro station. We always met at the one on Market Street, because it was right in the middle of both of our locations. Alice was attending the Academy of Art University for fashion; she aspired to be a designer, for whatever reason.

My phone vibrated in my pocket again and I answered it, not needing to look at the screen to know who it was.

"Yes?" I asked, sticking my free hand in my pocket.

"I'm almost at the register. Not that I _really _need to ask, but just in case, a medium café mocha, yes?"

"Absolutely. I'm about two blocks away. Thanks, midget."

"Fuck off," she huffed, then hung up. I snickered and ran across the street as I shoved my phone back in my pocket.

I walked in and saw her by the counter, waiting for our drinks. She motioned for me to grab a seat while she waited, and I looked around before throwing my bag down next to one of the tables by the window, on the opposite side of the coffee counter and sitting down. I looked around, spotted a newspaper on the counter, leaned over to grab it, and opened it to the news section, immediately being met with an article on zoo animal births.

"I find it hard to believe that anybody cares about _this,_" I mumbled, slapping the picture of a mother and baby giraffe with my fingers.

"Apparently somebody does, or it wouldn't be printed," Alice said as she reached the table with both of our coffees. I grunted a thank you and picked up my cup, taking a sip of my steaming hot liquid-form of sex.

"Why did you bring that hideous..._thing_?" she asked in a disgusted tone, staring at my backpack with disdain.

"I didn't have much of a choice, Ali. I went straight to the MUNI station after I walked out of that nightmare of a tutoring center."

"Fair enough," she said, though her facial expression and tone said otherwise. I took another sip of my coffee.

_Mmm. Heaven. _I closed my eyes and smiled blissfully.

"So I went shopping yesterday—" I cringed.

_Way to ruin the moment, Alice._

"What's new?" I muttered.

"What was that?" she challenged, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"I can't even remember the last time you went a day without saying that," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's been so long, those times may as well be non-existent. Just admit it, Alice. You're obsessed with shopping."

"I am not _obsessed _with shopping, Edward." I sighed and went back to reading the newspaper. "I am merely able to find fabulous clothes at fabulous prices, and if I can both find _and _afford them, why shouldn't I indulge? It's not as if they're not getting put to good use. Besides, if I'm going into fashion—and I am—I need to know what's in style _all _the time. Which reminds me, I found the most magnificent outfit at Bloomingdales that would look absolutely _incredible _on you."

I looked up at her and blinked.

She raised her eyebrows and looked at me expectantly.

I blinked twice.

She furrowed her eyebrows and gave me a distasteful look.

"How did you manage to say all that in one breath?"

"You are impossible, Edward Cullen," she said, throwing up her hands in aggravation.

"I try," I replied blandly, looking back down to the newspaper and flipping the page. I was halfway paying attention to the article on stem cells when I saw Alice's knee start bobbing up and down under the table. I fought back a grin and cleared my throat, furrowing my eyebrows and leaning my head towards the newspaper, as if I were completely engrossed.

I heard her sigh softly, then saw her tapping her fingers on the table top. I continued reading.

Then came the impatient sigh, followed immediately by her hand semi-slamming onto the table. I rolled my eyes and looked at her, finally.

"I suppose it's safe to assume that 'would' actually translates into 'will,' and that I'll be accompanying you—against my better judgment, might I add—on a trip to Bloomingdales?" I sighed, folding up the newspaper and throwing it back onto the counter.

"You assume correctly. See? You're a smart man! You don't need tutoring," she said, standing up and grabbing both of our coffees.

"I'm getting tutored in math, Alice, not in understanding you females and your warped communication tactics." I stood up and stretched, scratched my stomach through my sweatshirt and put on my backpack.

"Math, shmath," she said, rolling her eyes and thrusting my coffee into my chest. "It's hardly relevant at the moment. Now, let's _go _before somebody else gets their grubby hands on your outfit."

"Okay, okay," I groaned, following her out the door. Since it was a nice day out, and we were already on Market street and only about two miles away from the Shopping Centre, we decided to walk.

"So, how's my filthy ogre of a brother doing?" Alice asked, putting on her designer sunglasses and looking both ways before we crossed the street.

"Same as always," I replied, putting on my sunglasses as well and taking a sip of coffee. "He's not around so much anymore, now that he's—" I made a whipping gesture and sound simultaneously and she laughed heartily.

"I guess. Rosalie is...something," she concluded, nodding slowly.

"Mmmhm. I don't know, Alice. I mean, we don't know how they are behind closed doors."

I immediately cringed and Alice shuddered.

"That's not what I meant, I swear."

"Yeah, I get what you mean. She _must _act differently with him, because I know he's dumb, but he's not _that _stupid. He regards himself too highly to be some bitches bitch." I snorted and nodded in agreement. It was silent for a few minutes as I waited for the next inevitable question.

"How's Jasper?" she asked, attempting to sound nonchalant. I smirked and took another sip of my coffee and looked down at her.

Jasper is my other roommate, whom Alice has been completely infatuated with from the day she met him. While Emmett and I requested to be roommates, poor Jasper randomly got thrown in with us at the beginning of the year, since Sophomore dorms fit up to four people. He's a sort of reserved person, but despite that, we all got along right away; he's just as funny as Emmett in his own respect, and we've had some pretty good times with each other so far. Coincidentally, his twin sister is Rosalie, which is how Emmett met her and consequently, began dating her.

"He's fine," I replied. She nodded and took a drink of her coffee and it was silent again.

_5, 4, 3, 2..._

"Still single?"

"Yes, Alice. Jasper is still single. Don't worry, nobody's stolen your man, yet."

"Shut up!" she screeched, bumping her hip into me as hard as she could. I laughed and rubbed my upper thigh.

"Eat a burger, woman. I think your hip bone punctured my skin."

It took us about forty minutes to get to the Westfield San Francisco Shopping Centre, but the second it came into view, I all but fell over myself as I was yanked by an overly-energetic midget towards the doors, then _in_.

"This place is ridiculous," I muttered as we walked in. It was all white and gold, with curved escalators all the way to the top, lined with gold bars, and designer stores at every corner.

"You'll survive. Come along, then," she quippedd, dragging me by the sleeve of my sweatshirt down the length of the first floor until we came to the Bloomingdales entrance.

"Ah, home away from home...away from home," Alice sighed happily, walking inside.

"Alice! Back again so soon?" I heard, and a man dressed in an expensive looking suit enveloped her in a hug.

"Of course, Tony. You know I can't stay away for too long. This time it's for my best friend, here, Edward. I saw a few things yesterday that would look killer on him, and he agreed to submit himself to my wrath, because he loves me."

She grinned cheekily and I rolled my eyes.

"Lucky woman, you are," he mumbled into her ear as he looked me up and down. I shifted uncomfortably from side to side. "Well, let me know if you need anything, darling."

"I always do. Come on."

She led me towards the Men's section and went straight for a rack of jeans.

"What are you, a 31 waist?" she asked, walking over to me.

"Uh...I don't really knowWWWEEEE, WHAT THE HELL, ALICE?!" I screeched as she shoved her hand into the back of my jeans and pulled on the waist.

"Relax, Edward," she said with a roll of her eyes and she made her way back to the rack of jeans. "I was just checking your pants size. I was right, by the way; you're a 31. Remember that." I adjusted my jeans and glared at her, vaguely registering then attempting to ignore the looks I was getting from customers and employees alike.

She threw a pair of jeans at me then started walking towards another wall, filled with blazers and vests.

_She's making me wear a fucking vest?_

She started rummaging through the rack and I lost interest quickly, silently wondering why I allow myself to be subjected to this kind of torture. I don't like shopping, whether it's for me or not, but definitely not if it's for me. I don't mind the clothes I have, though half of them _are _due to Alice and her "expertise." I felt something else being thrown at me and looked down at my outstretched arms.

"Fitting room. Go."

She pointed diagonally to the left and I followed her arm until I saw the sign for fitting rooms. This Tony character let me into a room, but not before making it completely obvious he was checking out my ass.

"No shame," I muttered.

"None at all!" he shouted back from the hall. I chuckled and started undressing quickly, eager to get this crap over and done with.

"Are you done, yet?" Alice asked.

"Jeez, give me a second, woman!" I yelled, hopping around on one foot, trying to get the jeans on.

"It's been a second."

"_Alice,_" I warned.

"Okay, okay, jeez."

A few minutes later I emerged in a pair of dark wash jeans and a beige hooded blazer that felt extremely soft and warm. Alice let out a low whistle and grinned proudly.

"Well?" she asked, biting her bottom lip as I stood in front of a tall mirror.

"It looks like something I'd wear. It's all right," I replied, nodding and shrugging.

"EXCUSE me, _nothing _I dress _anybody _in is 'all right,'" she said, sauntering over to stand next to me. "This may look like a simple ensemble, but the fit and the colors perfectly accentuate all of your best features." She smacked me on my ass hard and I jumped away, rubbing it and staring at her incredulously.

"What? You have a nice ass, Edward! You need to show it off more." I shook my head and trudged back to the dressing room to get dressed.

"Stay in there, Edward! I'm going to look at a few more things."

Naturally, I emerged just then, holding the clothes between my hands.

"I love how you listen."

"No more, Alice," I said sternly. "I have to go. I have to work tonight."

"What time?" she asked, eying me suspiciously.

"7, and it's 5:50 right now. As it is, I'm cutting it close."

She huffed, knowing I was right, and grabbed the clothes from my hand.

"Fine. We'll just get these and leave." I sighed and followed her towards the register.

"Hold it, shorty!" I exclaimed and stopped. She froze but kept her back to me. "Hand them over."

"But—"

"Zip it. Come on, let me see," I said, motioning with my hands for her to hand them over. She complied reluctantly and I looked at the tag on the sweater.

I damn near went into cardiac arrest.

"Alice! I—this—I don't even make this much in a week! $230 for a _sweater?! _No, absolutely not. Nope. Take it back. And take these too!" I added, thrusting the jeans at her. "I don't even want to know how much those are."

"$158, but _Edward—_" she whined.

"That's even more absurd! Who _designs_ $200 pants? 'Joe's Jeans?' I don't even know who Joe is! No! Alice, I love you, but that's ridiculous. I'm never coming shopping with you again. I have to go to work, you crazy little pixie." I bent down and kissed her cheek, darting towards to exit of the store, through the mall and out the doors as quickly as I possibly could.

I decided to just catch the BART—another public rail transit that travels all over the Bay Area—from Powell Street since it was closer, even though it would mean a little more travel time, then catch the bus from Mission Street to Haight Street. I walked through the doors of Amoeba Music with fifteen minutes to spare, worked until closing at 10, then went to my dorm and passed out in my clothes from the day before.

The next day, I had a voicemail telling me I'd be receiving a package, and soon.

Fucking Alice.

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**Chapter End Notes:** I hope you enjoyed! Review, please, and let me know if I'm wasting my time, haha. :)


	2. Chapter 2: Bitches & Bear Hugs

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**Chapter Notes: **Thanks to everybody who favorited me already, and added this story to their Story Alert. Of course, thank you to Hannah. :) Love ya!

Just so you know, every chapter is going to alternate between Edward and Bella's POV.

I hope you all enjoy. :)

**Disclaimer: **Things I own: A digital piano, an LG Vu, a red iPod Nano and an awesome digital camera.  
Things I do not own: Twilight and all it's affiliates. Sigh.

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Chapter Song: Feeling Good - Muse

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--BPOV--

Fucking tutoring.

I absolutely _loved _when people came in and registered, acting as if they were serious about getting help, then decided not to show up. Honestly? I mean, it was the first week, for christs sake. If they couldn't be bothered to make it, or even call for that matter, what the hell was the point of registering? And who the hell did this_...Edward Cullen _think he was? Did he not think I had better things to do than sit at a round table, with a makeshift name tag on top, waiting for him to show up? I had a life. Maybe not the most _exciting _life, but I had one nonetheless.

Normally, I wouldn't have been so upset over one, unimportant person who decided to ditch tutoring. Maybe if it _had_ have just been one person, I wouldn't have been so angry, but it hadn't been just one; it'd been five people in the past _two days _wasting my time_._

Time check: 12:57 PM.

The session I was _supposed _to be having was scheduled until 1 PM. Normally, with a no call/no show, the tutors were only required to wait half an hour, but I'd had some homework I didn't feel like doing later, so I'd used the time to get it done. The fact that I was still getting paid for my time wasn't necessarily a bad thing, either.

Ah, paychecks. Obviously, tutoring wasn't much extra in my pocket, but combined with my second job at the dorm front desks(I was never at the same one day to day), it was enough for me to pay for rent, electricity, groceries, and any other added expenses.

_Ugh. _Bills.

_No, mom and dad, I don't want you to help support me. I want to pay for my _own _cell phone bill, my _own _rent, and utilities, and everything else I'll unknowingly struggle to pay._

What the _hell _was I _on _when I decided that?

I knew if I asked either parent, they'd be more than willing to help me out financially, but my pride got in the way of ever really considering the option, and pushed the idea out of my mind as quickly as it came. I got financial aid, which was an enormous help with tuition and books—work study was how I scored the _fantastic _job as a tutor—but with both my parents' incomes combined, that's all I got, so I needed another source of income.

I looked at the clock on the wall again: 1:05 PM. I gathered all my things, leaving out my ID card, put them in my bag, stood up and walked across the hall.

"Hey, Bella. How was the session?" Angela, the help desk assistant and, coincidentally, my roommate, asked as I walked through the door.

"It was great. I finished all of my homework," I replied, rounding the desk as she slid out of the way, a confused look playing on her face, so I could clock out. "No show," I explained simply as I slid my ID card through the scanner. A screen popped up, showing my name and the time I clocked in. I clicked on the button to clock out, moved out of the way as she scooted back towards the desk and set my bag down, opening it and grabbing my "uniform."

"Time for job number two?" she asked, starting a game of Solitaire.

"You got it," I replied, unzipping my hoodie and pulling the purple polo over my head, followed by the equally appealing purple and yellow lanyard with my work ID card around my neck.

"How long is your shift?"

"Pretty short, today. I'm scheduled at 1:30 and get off at 6. You?" I asked, shoving my hoodie into my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

"5:45. Want to grab dinner at the DC?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm over at Towers today, so just come by when you're off." She voiced her agreement and I waved, walking out the door and downstairs to the exit of the building.

I walked down the sidewalk, deciding to take the route along the side of the school instead of cutting through and enjoyed the surroundings and the breeze. I'd been in this environment for the past two years, yet I never loved or enjoyed it any less every time I saw it.

When I'd made the decision to attend SFSU, I'd also decided to forgo the_ lovely_ dorm experience. That was due largely in part to the orientation trip I came to with my mom and her husband Phil from Phoenix, and my dad, who flew out from Forks, Washington where he resided. We saw the dorm rooms on the tour—my mom and I walked into it, and barely fit in the room together. There was only about 10 inches of space between the two beds, and the fact that it was a co-ed dorm, which meant co-ed bathrooms, did not sit well with my father.

Immediately after returning home, I began a search for an apartment.

I wasn't having much luck finding one that was close enough to campus, and there was no way I could or _would _bring my old, beat up Chevy truck from home to drive in _this_ city. Finally, I'd chanced a look at the school website's off-campus postings and found one Angela had put up for a roommate at the Park Merced apartments, which were located directly across the street from the school.

I replied to it, not thinking I would get anything back, but almost immediately she replied. We talked through e-mail, added each other on Facebook, and finally, decided we would be compatible as roommates, and two weeks before school started I signed the lease as well, and we moved in.

It worked out extremely well because, not only did we get along great, but we could often walk to or from, or sometimes to _and _from, work together—Angela had always worked at the help desk, while I'd gotten a job immediately as an Algebra tutor since I'd done so well in my math courses in High School. After I'd aced Statistics the first semester, I was offered a position to tutor for that as well in the second semester. Then, I got the second job, which worked out even better because I was one of the few that had offered to work during the summer, when people taking classes paid extra to stay in the dorms for the duration of the summer session. They desperately needed people at the front desk, so luckily, I was able to get some extra cash before the school year started, _and_ I had a place to go home to. It hadn't taken any convincing on either of our parts to sign the lease for another year when the time came.

Working at the front desk wasn't so bad. It was pretty laid back; I was mainly there to answer phones, answer questions on the rare occasion a student came to the desk, and, when I worked during or through the mid-afternoon shift, sort through the mail and packages that the person who worked before me didn't get to. That was always fun. Not that I was an extremely nosy person, but we had to check packages to make sure nothing dangerous was inside before we handed them over. People got some very...interesting packages, to say the least. But for the most part, nothing exciting ever happened, so I played a lot of online games, wrote e-mails to my mom and dad, or checked MySpace or Facebook.

I turned to the right as I came up to the walkway leading towards the dorms, pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and checked the time: 1:23 PM. I had just enough time to set my things down, grab a drink from the vending machine and make it back to the desk with a few minutes to spare in order to log in. I walked a little faster towards the multi-colored building, lining the farther end of the sidewalk, walked in the first door and swiped my card at the automatic doors, walking in as they opened. Nobody was at the desk so I stuck my back pack underneath it, grabbed a few dollar bills and turned around, walking towards the snack room. I bought a soda, decided on a bag of trail mix as well, then walked out the door, to the right and towards the desk. My steps faltered slightly as I spotted Jessica Stanley, bitch extraordinaire, at the desk, smacking her bubble gum.

_Ugh. Fucking Jessica._

I inhaled, then exhaled deeply, preparing myself to be civil, even though I knew it was a lost cause. I couldn't stand the bitch.

"It's about _time, _Bella," she sneered, throwing her hair over her shoulder and grabbing her purse. "I don't know how _you _were raised, but it's very rude to make everybody wait on you while you decide when you want to waltz in here and do your job. People have lives, you know."

"What the—I don't—it's not even 1:30, yet, Jessica!" I said, exasperated already. "What the hell do you expect me to do, come in 45 minutes early? Do you not realize I'd get overtime pay, and you'd get _deducted _pay?"

_This bitch must be brain dead._

"Of course she doesn't. She'd have to possess half a brain to know that, which she obviously does not," Rosalie said as she emerged from the back room.

Rosalie Hale was my savior. She'd been assigned to train me when I first started—we were the same age, and in the same academic stance, but she'd started working in the dorms the first semester of school whereas I started in the second—and from that point on, she sort of took me under her wing, so to speak. Not that I needed defending—I wasn't a very confrontational person, but I could hold my own when I needed to—she just moreso warned me about Jessica, and her equally idiotic "posse." At first, I thought she was exaggerating. Then I met the ho's, and I realized she may have slightly _under _exaggerated. We immediately took to each other, though. I loved her brazen, unapologetic attitude, and she loved my sarcasm and subtle remarks that went right over Jessica and the Bimbos' heads.

We were quite the pair.

"Ex_cuse _me? Listen, bitch, I don't know wh—"

"Oh, go suck a dick, Jessica. You already sound like you have one permanently stuck inside your mouth." I snorted out a laugh, which earned me a glare from Jessica before she directed it at Rosalie.

"Well? What the hell are you waiting for, shit for brains? Bella's here, now. You're free to go. Please, _go_."

Jessica stalked out of the doors, screeching as she walked out of sight, making me feel sorry for anyone within a five mile radius of her; they'd be hearing ringing in their ears all night.

Did I mention that Rosalie Hale was my savior?

"Only she could make this hideous shirt look trashy," I said, staring after her. Rosalie laughed and nodded her head in agreement. Suddenly, I remembered that I hadn't clocked in yet.

"Shit!" I hissed, running over to the computer and pulling up the program. I slid my card through quickly and plopped onto the chair, sighing in relief when the screen popped up, telling me I'd been clocked in; I was only two minutes late.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be fine. You're always on time; they know that," Rosalie said, sitting on the desk next to the monitor.

"Eh, I'm not worried about it," I replied, swiveling in the chair and waving my hand in dismissal. "How long were you stuck with her?" I asked, nodding my head towards the automatic doors she exited shortly before.

"Two hours too long," she replied, tightening her high ponytail and sighing. I nodded in understanding, stretched, then slouched down into the chair.

"So what slack am I going to have to pick up during the next four hours?" I asked, not really wanting to know.

"All of it. I've been in the back the entire time, trying to sort through mail, while she spent the duration of her shift babbling away to her half-wit friends," she said, rolling her eyes. "You know how it is at the beginning of the semester, though. There's more packages than I can count back there, not to mention all of the regular mail." I groaned and scrunched up my face.

"Bitch, you've only been here for a little over five minutes, and you haven't had to do anything. Get your ass back there and help me with this shit, and then you can protest all you want," she joked, slapping my ponytail. I grinned and stood up, grabbing the bell from a drawer and placing it on the desk, then taped a sign underneath it that instructed anybody with questions to ring if they needed help. I grabbed my bag from under the desk and followed Rosalie into the back room.

"Jesus Christ on a fucking wagon," I mumbled, grabbing a pen from my bag before tossing it to the side, closing the door behind me.

"Taking the lord's name in vain isn't going to get this done any faster, Bells. Come on, lets get to work." She sat on the floor to the right side of the room where a log record binder was laying on the floor, open, and taped up an opened package.

"Do we even have enough slips for all of these?" I asked, grabbing a handful of slips from the folder and going to the left side of the room, plopping down on the floor

"We better. These are every one of them," she said, rolling a box cutter across the floor to me and slicing a box open with another one. I grabbed the other log record off the side table and started filling out the slip for the first package I grabbed.

"So how's life with Emmett?" I asked, slicing open the box and opening the log.

"Great," she said wistfully. "He's at my place most of the time, now."

"I'm sure he is, hooker," I teased. She laughed loudly and shook her head, sighing.

"It's not like that. Well, it is, but it's more than that. We just...mesh well together. Balance each other out, you know?"

I smiled. Truthfully, I didn't know. I wasn't quite as inexperienced in dating and the like as people probably assumed I was, but I'd never truly had a connection with _anybody _other than friendship.

"That's good. I'm happy for you, Rose." She smiled and her entire, flawless face lit up. If I hadn't loved her already, I'd hate her for being so goddamn _perfect._

"Did you have to tutor today?"

"I was _supposed _to, but the asshole didn't show up. So, I just spent the hour getting paid to finish my own homework. Score: 1 for me." I re-taped the box after I checked it, shoved it to the side and filled out the next slip.

"Well, hey, that's a better deal than having to actually tutor," she said, taping her box up.

"True, true." I cut open the next box and started checking things off and filling in the log again.

We made small talk for a bit, but I wasn't the best candidate for multi-tasking since I tended to be incredibly accident-prone.

"Ouch, fuck!" I yelped, waving my hand around frantically then sucking on my index finger.

_Right on cue._

"Oh, god. What happened? I knew I shouldn't have given you that box cutter. Is anything severed? Do I need to get a bowl of ice? We can preserve the finger for reattachment that way," Rosalie rambled, jumping up and heading towards the door.

"No, no, I'm fine. I cut myself on the cardboard." Rosalie froze, stared blankly at me, then shook her head.

"Right? I have a perfectly useful box cutter to slice myself with, but instead, I choose the box." She chuckled and sat down again, cutting open another box.

I started sorting through the box, filling out the log when I heard Rosalie let out a low whistle. I looked over at her and furrowed my eyebrows.

"Check _this _out," she said, holding up two packages next to her head. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head, not comprehending. "Oh, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "I forgot, you don't know much about fashion." I rolled my eyes in return, then stood up, walking towards her and eyeing the packages.

"What are they? Jeans and a sweater? What's so great about that?"

"Yes, jeans and a sweater...from Bloomingdales. This outfit, alone, probably cost him close to $500. Ooh! There's more!"

She pulled out two more packages, one with a blue and charcoal black striped zip up, and the other holding a black shirt with "ABBEY ROAD" and four mens' silhouettes printed on the front in white.

"$500?" I asked blankly, still in shock. I mean, they were nice clothes, but the same shirt was probably at five different thrift shops, and for way less than what I was sure he paid.

She nodded and filled out the log, put the bags back into the box and taped it up.

"For jeans and a fucking sweater?!" I screeched, and was immediately shushed. "That's ludicrous. Who the fuck has that kind of _money _to spend on two articles of clothing?!"

"Apparently," she started, grabbing the package slip from the floor and reading it, "Edward Cullen does. Huh. Who knew?" she muttered with raised eyebrows.

"What?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows and snatching the slip out of her hands. I narrowed my eyes at the paper.

_Fucking Edward Cullen._

"Oh, fucking figures," I hissed, walking over to the mail slots and thrusting the slip into..._his_...number. Rosalie looked up at me and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"The tutoring asshole!"

"Wha?" she asked, thoroughly confused at this point.

"This..._guy_! Edward Cullen. Mister, I'm-too-good-for-normal-people-clothes. He's the one that's apparently too good for tutoring too, because he bailed on his appointment with me today!" She formed an 'o' with her mouth and nodded slowly.

"$500 for a pair of jeans and a sweater, that's fucking stupid," I muttered.

"Well, at least he's an asshole who can dress. I hate it when guys are assholes and they look like shit, too," she said, shrugging. I laughed incredulously and shook my head; typical Rosalie.

Just then, I heard the bell on the desk ring, so I opened the door and walked out to find a tall, muscular man wearing a backwards cap and a white t-shirt leaning on the desk.

"Can I help you?" I asked politely.

"Yeah I was looking for..." he trailed off, narrowing his eyes and leaning closer to my name tag. "Bella! So I finally get to meet you!" I glanced sideways at him and backed up slowly. We hardly got any crazy people at the front desk, surprisingly, but there were always a few.

"I'm Emmett!"

I immediately relaxed and sighed, grinning and walking towards him with my hand extended.

"It's so nice to meet you. Rose talks about you all the time." He grinned and grabbed my hand, but pulled me into a tight hug with one hand on my back and the other on the back of my head, effectively smothering my face into his chest.

"Um...Rose?" I yelled as loudly as I could while patting him on the back.

"Emmett, you bastard, let her go. You're going to kill her!"

"Aw, c'mon, babe," he said, letting me go and walking over to her, hugging her just as tight. "I was just saying hello."

"Well, give her some warning next time, you big bear," she replied, playfully smacking his chest.

"I consider myself warned," I joked, fixing my ponytail.

"I was on my way out and decided to come by and see what time you're off. Me and Ward-o are meeting up at the DC later, and I wanted to see if you wanted to come."

"He'll kill you if he hears you call him that."

"I'd like to see him try," he scoffed. "He knows I'm just messing around. Anyway, are you coming?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm off at 6."

"Hey, Bella, you should come, too!"

"Err, Emmett, I don't think Bella would be comfortable—"

"Oh, shut up, Rosalie. Angela and I planned on going there after work, anyway. This is great! I can get to know your boyfriend better," I said, smiling.

"Angela's scared of me," Rosalie stated.

"Kind of. But if you chill out and don't get all crazy around her, she'll be cool."

"Bella, I don't—"

"Perfect!" Emmett boomed. "See you later, Bella." He kissed Rosalie's cheek then walked out the automatic doors.

"What's _your _problem?" I asked, tapping her nose. She frowned and smacked my hand away.

"Nothing," she said, sighing. "I just...I should probably tell you something," she said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her skeptically; Rose never got nervous.

"Okay," I said slowly.

"Well, you see, the guy that's—_shit,_" she hissed, turning around and running through the door to the mail room. Confused, I turned around, but I didn't see anything.

"Rose? What the fuck?" I asked, opening the door and peeking in.

"I, uh, I just remembered I forgot to fill something out in the log!" she said, bending down and picking up the log.

_Okay, something is definitely fucking up._

I decided I really didn't want to know, pulled the door shut and shook my head, turning around to see a bronze-haired..._sex _god_—_that was the only way I could describe the perfection that was his face and body—walking through the doors with a smile on his face.

"Hello," he said smoothly, still smiling.

"H-hi," I stammered like a fucking moron. He walked around the corner, presumably to check his mail since I'd seen his keys in his hand. My hand flew to my forehead and I fanned off my face with the other, exhaling slowly.

_That man is sex on fucking legs._

About a minute later, he resurfaced, making his way towards the desk.

"Back so soon?" I joked, regaining my composure and breathing out a laugh. He grinned crookedly and put his elbows on the counter.

"Yeah, I guess I have a package already," he said, chuckling and scratching the back of his neck while holding the slip out to me.

"You and everybody else in the building," I replied, laughing lightly. "You wouldn't believe how many packages we have back...there..." I trailed off upon seeing the name on the slip. I narrowed my eyes and looked back up at him, glaring. His smile faltered and he looked taken aback.

_Good. Dipshit._

I marched into the back, and went over towards Rosalie with a scowl on my face.

"Bella," she started cautiously, "calm down. It's okay." I grunted and grabbed his package, then marched right back. He looked up when he heard me come through and raised his eyebrows.

"Rose," he said, nodding. I turned my head side to side quickly and saw Rosalie to my left side; I hadn't even realized she'd followed me out. I narrowed my eyes at her and clenched my jaw.

"Edward," she mumbled, nodding back at him subtly while scratching the back of her head, which was conveniently turned away from me.

"Here," I snapped, shoving the package at his chest. "Have a fan_tastic _day." He stared, confused and bewildered, at me before turning his gaze to Rose, then back at me. Finally, he shook his head, muttered a "good-bye" and walked towards the elevators.

"You _know _him?" I started, slowly turning towards Rosalie.

"Err...kind of...not really...well, sort of, I—"

"Spit it out, Rosalie!"

"He's Emmett's roommate, okay! And he's kind of...he's coming to the DC with us."

Oh, fucking _perfect_.

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**Chapter End Notes**: Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter is Edward's point of view. Review, please!!! :)


	3. Chapter 3: Igor & a party at the DC

**Chapter Notes: **Alright, lovelies! Chapter 2 is posted on Twilighted, so, as I promised, I'm posting Chapter 3 over here. I've had a ridiculous amount of Story Alerts and a lot of people tagging my story as a favorite; it's mind boggling! Now, if all those people would just _review_, that'd be even MORE amazing. Haha. ;) Thank you to everybody that did review, though. I appreciate it so much! Thank you to Hannah, as usual, and I hope you all went and read her amazing story Now and Forever AND reviewed. This is my favorite chapter by far, so I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Things I own: A ridiculous amount of Sharpies, a pair of Old Navy jeans (my _favorites_!), and a black & white polka-dotted canvas bag.

Things I do not own: Rob Pattinson's dick. Sigh. Err...any and all Twilight characters

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Chapter song: Crowded Room – The Academy Is...

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--EPOV--

"I assume you all understand the basic principles of Physics," the Professor huffed in a thick, Russian accent into his clip-on microphone, "so because of that, I will not review them. If you need review, do it on your own time. We will divide the semester into four units, the first being in Electricity and its forces, applicable laws, and potential. The rest, you do not need to know until the time comes, so do not ask."

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open slightly, then allowed my eyes to roam the faces nearby in the smaller, auditorium-style classroom; every face was staring at him the exact same way.

"Only in San Francisco would we go from having an acid-loving hippie for a Physics Professor, to an angry Russian within the same year," my friend Ben whispered, leaning to the right, towards me. I laughed silently and nodded.

Ben and I met in General Chemistry I during the summer session before our first official semester. We were the youngest in the class, so we gravitated towards each other and, thankfully, hit it off immediately. He'd done the same thing as I did, as far as taking both Biology courses during his senior year, because he, too, was majoring in Biology, only his concentration was in Cell and Molecular Biology while mine was in Microbiology. Since all Biology majors had to take the same undergrad Science courses, give or take a few, and we both were trying to get everything out of the way as soon as possible, we were able to help each other study. Though we'd had different teachers up until this point, save the General Physics I Lab last semester, the material being taught was exactly the same, thus effectively helping us both pass the courses with flying colors.

"This guy is going to be a nightmare," I whispered back, leaning back a little and turning my head slightly to the left as the Professor rambled on about something else we shouldn't ask questions about. "He's like, a Physics communist."

He scoffed quietly and rubbed his hands over his face.

"I know. I sort of figured that out last week, I just had to have an ounce of faith that maybe he wouldn't be so bad. Faith, apparently, is highly overrated."

"Thank god he's not our lab instructor. Can you imagine if we had to spend two _more_ hours with—" I pulled my syllabus out of my binder and studied the top portion "—_Igor_ a week?"

"Who even names their kid _Igor_?" Ben snorted, covering his mouth to muffle his quiet laughter.

"Remind me never to procreate with a Russian," I jested, also covering my mouth as we both shook with laughter. The Professor snapped his head to our section and zeroed in on us as we made a futile attempt to calm down.

"If you ladies are finished, I'd like to continue my lecture," he snapped. From my peripheral vision, I still saw Ben shaking with laughter. He propped his elbow on the armrest, bending his head to lay his forehead on his hand to cover his face.

"I apologize for the disruption, sir. But I have to say, as a dedicated feminist and someone who _seriously_ contemplated majoring in Women's Studies, I find that to be an incredibly sexist remark," I said in a serious tone, nudging Ben in his elbow hard as a signal for him to stop laughing. Naturally, he laughed even harder, making it incredibly difficult for me to keep a straight face. "And," I added as I looked down at my lap, then back up, "the last time I checked, I most definitely was not female, Professor—" I trailed off, studying my syllabus again "—Muh—Mm...Mook-ass-yuck," I sounded out, putting the paper down and smiling at a livid looking Igor.

Ben was doubled over laughing, with his head between his knees by that point, and soft snickers were echoing across the room.

"MAKASYUK!" he shouted. I bit my lip and looked to the side, trying desperately to fight off the grin that was undoubtedly creeping onto my face.

"I'm sorry, Professor. Truly, I am. Please, continue on with your marvelous lecture. My apologies." He glared at me, then across the room as the snickering was quieting down, and continued on with his lecture for the remaining thirty minutes of class.

Ben and I shuffled out amongst the hundreds of students after class was dismissed, making our way down the two small flights of stairs and out of the Science building into the crisp, early February air.

"You're lucky he doesn't take roll and has no idea what your name is, so he can't fail you," Ben said as we walked up the slightly elevated path leading to the front of the school.

"Not yet, at least. I'll have to wait for twenty minutes after I finish tests to turn in my scantron, that way I'll have a good pile to bury mine under. He'll never know the difference," I joked.

"Or, you could always wear a wig and some contacts," he grinned, stopping as we approached the split-off point of the trail.

"What's next on the agenda?" he asked, scratching his eyebrow.

"Nothing. No classes, at least. I have to head over to HSS," I said, nodding my head to the left where the building was located. "The tutoring center screwed up my schedule, so I have to go get it fixed. Might as well do it now since I'm already here. What about you?"

"Biometry, right now," he replied, sighing. I scrunched up my face in confusion. "It's some weird Bio class that I'm required to take for my major."

"Then why'd you leave the Science building, dumbshit?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"Because it's not _in_ the Science building, fuckface. It's in HSS," he retorted.

"Why the hell would it be in HSS? This school is so stupid sometimes, I swear," I said, as we both turned to the left and started walking the short distance to the building.

"Tell me about it. I told you, it's a weird class. It's also a math course, though. It's like, measurements, and data analysis and shit like that, but it's all related to Biology. I have to take a fucking lab with it, too. It's such bullshit. _And_, I have to take Calculus this semester on top of that, which I have after this dumb assed class," he huffed, opening the door to HSS and walking in as I followed.

"That's rough, man," I said, whistling lowly and cringing, pushing the up button for the elevator.

_There's no way in hell I'm climbing up three flights of stairs for this tutoring shit again._

"Yes, it is. So stop complaining about a little Statistics class you're having to take; you got it easy this semester," he teased as the elevator doors opened. We stepped in and he pressed the button for the second floor, and I reached over, pressing the button for third.

"I wouldn't be complaining if I could have passed it a year and a half ago the first damn time I attempted it. I even tried Geographical Measurements after two failed attempts at Stats, because Emmett took that class and never even _went_ and he managed to get a B. But, I got stuck with the 90 year old war veteran who wrote his own book and assigned seats, refused to call us by anything but our seat section and number, and rambled incoherently, mostly to himself. You try having my luck in College Math courses, and see if you make it through without complaining," I said, shoving him towards the opening elevator doors by his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," he laughed, turning around and walking backwards. "Hey, you wanna grab dinner at the DC tonight?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied, putting my foot in front of the doors to keep them from closing. "What time?"

"Is 6 good? I'll stop by Towers after I'm done with Calculus. It's in the Humanities building. You know, because that's relevant," he said with a roll of his eyes. I laughed and nodded.

"Genius. That's fine, though. Just call me when you're there." The elevator started beeping from the doors being forced to stay open, so Ben nodded, waved, and turned back around, walking away. I stepped back into the elevator, allowing the doors to close, and leaned against the rail as it jerked to a start, going up a floor.

The elevator stopped seemingly as fast as it started and I stepped out of the doors and into the hallway filled with people running towards the stairs to leave the building, or trudging from the stairs towards their classes. I chuckled lightly to myself and shook my head, moving closer to the wall to accommodate some of the crowd.

After a few corner turns and a walk to the end of a corridor, I walked through the open door where the tutoring sign-in desk was located. This time, though, there was a girl sitting at the desk, looking bored and playing a game of solitaire. I smirked slightly, then hesitantly looked for any sign of the older woman I'd encountered yesterday, relaxing at her current absence.

"Excuse me," I started politely, but apparently not gently enough because she practically jumped out of her seat at the sound of my voice. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, are you okay?" I asked worriedly and grimaced.

"I'm fine," she said, clutching her chest and heaving, slightly out of breath. "I'm fine, you just startled me a bit. I didn't see you." She readjusted the chair, seeing as how it slid halfway out from the desk when she jumped, and sat back down.

"That must have been a very captivating game of solitaire," I said, smirking and nodding my head towards the computer. She looked at the computer and grinned sheepishly, shrugging and laughing lightly.

"What can I do for you?" she asked as she swiveled to the side to face me.

"I had a slight problem yesterday with my schedule. Apparently, I was switched to a new tutor, but was not made aware of it, so I need to find out who my new tutor is."

"Why would you get switched?" she asking, looking confused and tilting her head to the side.

"The one I was assigned initially isn't tutoring in math this semester, I guess," I replied, shrugging. She furrowed her eyebrows and swiveled back towards the computer, pulled up a program and started hitting a few keys.

"What's your last name?"

"Cullen," I said, putting my hands on the desk and leaning down as she typed it in.

"Edward?" she asked, turning her head towards me and I nodded once as she hit a few more keys.

"Ah, yes, you got switched to Bella. I'm sorry about that, somebody really should have notified you. Normally I take care of registration and the like, but this one _wasn't_ my fault," she huffed. I chuckled and waved my hand dismissively.

"It happens. I just need to get this taken care of so I don't have to take this stupid class _ever again_." She laughed lightly and pressed a few more keys before clicking the mouse a few times. I heard the printer load up and a few seconds later she reached under the desk, swiveled back around towards me and placed the paper on the desk, grabbing a highlighter.

"Okay, so your tutor is Bella Swan for Math 124—" she paused, looking up at me with her eyebrows raised. I nodded my head in confirmation and she looked back down, high lighting a few things "—and you'll have her Tuesdays from noon to—ohhhhh, _you _were the no show," she nodded, looking up at me.

"What? I didn't—" I started, but she cut me off, waving her hands back and forth in the air.

"I know, I know, you didn't even know. Don't worry about it, she's pretty understanding. She didn't seem too upset when she left. She got her homework done, _and_ still got paid," she chuckled.

"Well that's good, at least. Hey, is there any way to change that? I have a class during that time. Initially I had Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 to 4, and that'd be so much more convenient in general."

"Umm," she said softly, going back to the computer and typing a few things. "Yeah, she's open. Let me go ahead and change that." With a few key taps, mouse clicks, and highlights, I had my original schedule back with my new tutor, Bella Swan, and I was scurrying down the steps and out the doors, making my trek back to the dorm.

As I neared the Library I saw the platinum blond head of Lauren Mallory honing in on my left and groaned, shoving my hands in my pockets and speeding up my strides in an attempt to make it back to the dorm unscathed.

"Edward!" she screeched, running towards me in her six-inch heels. I looked up, secretly praying that she'd trip on the uneven ground and fall flat on her face so that I could get the hell out of there, but unfortunately—and slightly miraculously—she didn't trip. She slowed at my side and hooked her hand around my forearm, somehow keeping up with my practically five-foot-long strides. I closed my eyes tightly, cursing my luck, and sighed in defeat.

"Hello, Lauren," I mumbled.

"Where have you been, sexy? I've been waiting for you to call me," she said in what I assumed to be her seductive voice. I almost snorted at the thought; if I'd closed my eyes, I would have thought that voice belonged to an out of breath, overweight man walking uphill.

"I've been busy," I said, grimacing as I tried to inch my arm away from her, but giving up with the realization that she had a fucking _death_ grip on it. "You know, with _school_."

"Well, you should make time for me," she said, still speaking in her "seductive" voice as she hopped in front of me, effectively halting my steps. I was sure she'd have liked nothing more than for me to fall on top of her, but I really had no desire to get smothered by her sickeningly sweet perfume _or_ saline tits. "You know, late at night." She trailed a finger down my chest slowly and I stared over her head, blankly. I sighed and grabbed her wrist before she could get past my belly button and stared at her.

"I have plans late at night, _every_ night. It's called 'sleep'," I said, pushing her hand down to her side and patting it roughly. "I'm late for class, now. I have to go," I lied, stepping around her and practically _running_ away, afraid to look back in case she was right behind me. Eventually I actually _did_ start running, only realizing it when I reached the Student Services Building and stopped. I figured it was safe to walk at a normal pace, considering the dorms were right around the corner, but I chanced a glance over my shoulder, just in case. I sighed in relief when I didn't see her, and ran a hand through my hair.

_Fucking Emmett._

It was all his fault, really. His stupid ass had dragged me to the party down the street and threw her in my direction, saying she'd been "eye fucking" me all night, after I was ridiculously drunk. I wasn't thinking straight, and even the fucking _house plant_ in the apartment looked fuckable. At some point I'd passed out, then woke up in the middle of the night, naked, with her leg across my face and an ever-growing need to vomit. I'd stood up, wishing that I had have just humped the stupid Ficus when I had the chance, so that I'd never caught the type of attention I did from Lauren, and stumbled around the room, throwing my clothes on. After I was fully dressed, I'd gone on a search for Emmett so we could get the hell _out_ of there and we both slightly stumbled back to the dorm. Somehow, though, she seemed to always find me around the campus of 30,000 students after that.

I would never live that down.

"Fucking Emmett," I mumbled as I neared the doors to the dorm, pulling my keys and ID card from my backpack. As if on cue, the fucker came bounding around the corner, all fucking smiles, and I grunted.

_Yeah, _you_ can smile. You don't have Lauren fucking Mallory clawing at your fucking nuts at every turn._

"Ward-o!" he exclaimed, pissing me off even more. I glared at him as he came to a stop in front of me, smacking my arm, still all smiles.

"I'm going to kick you in the balls the next time you call me that," I said through clenched teeth. He laughed boisterously and I couldn't help but relax, rolling my eyes at him.

"Okay, okay, jeez. What's got your balls all shriveled up?"

"Lauren Mallory," I said bluntly. He cringed, but a huge grin broke across his face as he started laughing silently.

"Shut the fuck up," I growled, struggling to keep myself from laughing as well. He laughed loudly and unabashedly, and I gave up, joining him in the laughter.

"She's fucking insane, man! She was like, 'make time for me..._late at night_'," I said, mimicking her "seductive" voice. He howled, doubling over and slapping his knee and I cracked up right along with him. "I was like, 'I have plans every night, it's called _sleep_', and I fucking _ran_ all the way from the Library to SSB. Jesus, she just doesn't fucking quit!"

"You really got yourself a winner, there, Edward," he said, standing up straight and wiping under his eyes, still chuckling, then sighed.

"It's your fucking fault, asshole. You need to get her off my fucking nuts."

"No can do, buddy. Rose would castrate me, and I need these babies," he said, patting the front of his pants. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Where are you going?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"CPR, my friend," he said, rubbing his hands together and wiggling his eyebrows. "Time to make out with those sexy, half-bodied mannequins." I snickered and shook my head.

"You do that. I'll see you later."

"Yup. Oh! Rose and her friend...and _her_ friend, are coming to the DC with us tonight, and I think you're going to like her," he said, grinning.

"Oh, shit, I forgot about that. Well, whatever. Ben's coming, too. And who am I going to like?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Rose's friend, dumbshit. She's real cute. Totally your type."

"I wasn't aware I had a type, but all right," I said with a small wave as I walked around him and closer to the doors.

"See ya..._late at night_," he said, mimicking the "seductive" voice and cracking up all over again. I laughed and ran a hand over my face, opened the first set of doors, swiped my card to open the automatic doors and walked through, still grinning. I honestly had no idea how I'd managed to not find the humor in that the minute it came out of her mouth.

"Hello," I said to the girl at the front desk. She looked completely shocked but stammered out a "hi" as I turned to the right to go check my mail. I shrugged and figured I caught her off guard, stuck my key in the slot and turned it, opening it to find the little green package slip.

"Fucking Alice," I groaned, closing and locking up the mailbox as I made my way back to the front desk.

"Back so soon?" she asked, laughing lightly as I came back towards the desk. I grinned at her and leaned on the counter top.

"Yeah, I guess I have a package already," I said, scratching the back of my neck and chuckling as I handed her the slip.

"You and everybody else in the building," she laughed. "You wouldn't believe how many packages we have back...there..." she trailed off. Out of nowhere, she looked up and fucking _glared_ at me. I was shocked, to say the least. I didn't see anything offensive on the slip, unless Emmett drew a bunch of tiny dicks on the paper without me knowing it; that was totally something he'd do. I didn't have time to question it, though, as she marched through the door behind her, then right back out with my package within 60 seconds. Only this time, Rosalie was behind her looking nervous. I snickered a little inside at that as she stood to the side of the girl.

"Rose," I said, nodding my head in her direction. She mumbled my name in acknowledgement, looking even more uncomfortable as the girl slowly turned to glare at her. I looked at Rosalie in confusion, silently asking her what the fuck this girl's problem was, but the crazy girl snapped at me and shoved my package into my chest, then wished me a "fan_tastic _day." I gaped at her, then Rose, then her again, before deciding I didn't fucking care. Lauren Mallory was enough for one day.

I mumbled a goodbye and walked towards the elevators, completely fucking disoriented, and walked into the one that a few people had just come out of. I pushed the button for the 13th floor and shook my head, leaning against the back wall.

The ride up was quick, considering the Towers were only a few years old, therefore the elevators were still fairly new. I turned to the left out of the elevator and walked all the way down the hall to the last door on the left, unlocked it, and pushed the heavy door open. I propped my foot against the door and wrestled my keys out of the lock, then walked to the kitchen, throwing the package on the island.

I glared at it for a minute, sighed, then grabbed my keys and sliced it open.

"What'd you get?" I heard Jasper ask as he leaned on the counter across from the kitchen. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I rolled my eyes, taking it out and opening it to find I had a text message from—who else?—Alice.

"More crap, courtesy of Alice," I mumbled as I clicked the button to read the text.

_**I'd better hear Emmett tell me you're wearing at least one of the outfits before this weekend.**_

_**xx  
Ali**_

I groaned and threw my head back. It was bad enough she'd bought the _one_, but now there was more?

I heard Jasper clear his throat and I looked over at him. His eyebrow was quirked as he shifted his gaze between me and the box. I opened it and reached in, grabbing the first two packages and holding them up.

"Clothes," we both said in unison. He chuckled and walked around the counter over to me, looking closely at them.

"They look nice," he said, shrugging as I put the packages down and pulled the other two out of the box. "I'd wear them if someone bought them for me."

"They are nice. Nice, and extremely fucking expensive. These four articles of clothing probably come close to one semester's tuition fees." He cringed and I nodded, sighing as I dropped the packages back into the box.

"Well, look on the bright side. You don't ever have to worry about looking like shit when you walk out the door." I laughed and nodded, running my hand through my hair and scratching my scalp. "I gotta go. Class," he said, lifting up the binder and book he held in his left hand.

"Have fun," I said as he walked towards the door. He snorted and walked out, the door slamming behind him. I chuckled and looked back down at the box, sighed, then picked up my phone to text Alice back. I stopped, a plan formulating in my head as a slow smirk formed on my lips, then hit the reply button.

_**Thank you, crazy. By the way, Jazz wants you to take him shopping this weekend.**_

_**xxx  
E**_

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I heard a phone ringing in the distance and shot upright. Apparently, at some point I'd navigated my way to the couch and passed out. I rubbed my face and trudged to my room, where the source of the offensive noise was coming from.

"Hello," I mumbled, pressing my palm into my right eye.

"Where the fuck have you been, asshole?!" Emmett yelled. I cringed and ran a hand through my hair, sighing. "I've been calling you for the past fifteen minutes! I was on my way up to the room before you answered. I thought you were dead or something."

"Sorry, man. I fell asleep. What time is it?" I asked, looking around for the room for the time.

"6:15, you dumb fuck. Everybody was starving so we all came to the DC. Hurry up and get your ass down here," he said, then abruptly hung up. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it for a few seconds before putting it on the cradle.

"I'm not coherent enough for this shit right now," I mumbled, making my way towards the bathroom to brush my teeth. Kind of pointless, but I wouldn't want to breathe in anyone's face after I'd slept, especially if the girl Emmett was so sure was perfect for me was really worth anything. I went back into the kitchen to grab my keys, felt my pocket to make sure my ID card was there, and walked out the door and to the elevators.

It only took a minute to get down to the lobby and I rounded the corner, pausing to make sure I wouldn't get murdered if I walked past the desk. Crazy girl wasn't there, thankfully, so I walked towards the doors, nodded at the new girl at the desk as she looked up, and walked out. I turned to the right, walked the fifty feet or so down the almost-white cement, then rounded the corner to the left, towards the doors of the DC. I walked in and handed the cashier my ID card as I looked around, attempting to spot the probable biggest crowd in the room. She handed it back to me after it was swiped and smiled, told me how many meals I had left on it, and I thanked her as I walked towards the other section of the dining area.

"Eddie!" I heard Emmett yell as soon as I walked through the archway. I rolled my eyes and turned to the right, seeing him waving me over to a table against the wall in the very back.

"What is this, a fucking party?" I mumbled to myself as I saw how many people were seated at the table. He jogged over to me and smacked me on the back, grinning like a fool. "What?" I asked skeptically.

"This girl is fucking _perfect_ for you, man. I'm sure of it. Come on!" he said, pushing me forward and almost making me trip over my fucking feet. I glared at him as we half-jogged over to the table. Ben nodded at me as we approached and I waved. Emmett stopped behind two girls with brown pony tails, and grabbed my shoulders roughly to keep me from going over to the empty seat next to Ben. I glared at him even more, but he ignored me, clearing his throat.

"Bella, this is Edward. Edward, meet Bella." One of the brown haired girls turned around and I tensed immediately. She was all smiles until she met my gaze. Then, she shot daggers at me ten times worse than she did at the front desk.

_Fuck _this. _I am not in the mood for this bullshit, especially not from some random fucking bitch who just decided within five seconds she hated me for no goddamn fucking reason._

So, naturally, I glared right back at her.

"Uh," Emmett started, slowly. "Edward?" I turned to him and narrowed my eyes.

"I don't do Bipolar, Emmett," I sneered, shooting..._her_...the nastiest look I could muster up. "Thanks anyway."

With that, I turned on my heel and stomped towards the food, fucking irate and hungry as a mother fucker.

_Fucking _Bella.

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**Chapter End Notes: **Thanks for reading! Review, review , review! It makes me smile like this: :D


	4. Chapter 4: Attempted Murder & DDR

**Chapter Notes: **I was going to wait to post this until Chapter 3 was validated over at twilighted, BUT I think I read somewhere that my twilighted supervisory beta was going on holiday, so who knows when it'll get posted. I figured you fine people shouldn't have to suffer the wait. ;) This is quite a long chapter; 9,316 words! I hope you enjoy. I finished Chapter 5 the other day, so I'll be starting on chapter 6 soon. Thank you to everybody who reviewed! It puts the biggest cheeser on my face to know that you all love the story.

I want to shout out to my lovah, Hannah! If it wasn't for her, it'd probably take me ten times longer to get a chapter posted and a new one finished, so you thank her by going and reading her awesome story, Now and Forever, and reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **Things I own: An awesome reversible comforter, a beloved "I Heart Nerds" hoodie, and a stick of burt's beeswax.  
Things I do not own: Twilight characters. :(

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Chapter Song: Out of Control – Ultraviolet Sound

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--BPOV--

Tuesday was officially the worst day of the week.

As if it wasn't bad enough that I'd dealt with Edward Cullen—or rather his lack of presence and common courtesy—all day long, I was now being forced to suffer through an entire meal with him. One, which I might add, he was fifteen minutes late for. Figures.

"He fell asleep," Emmett said, sitting back down at the table and throwing his arm across Rosalie's shoulders. He'd gone outside to call..._him_...to tell him we'd already left the dorm and were in the DC, and to figure out why he wasn't with us. Not that I was complaining.

"He's normally always on time, the bastard. He's real reliable, Bella. And funny, too. I think you guys will get along great," Emmett droned on for the umpteenth time since we'd met up, wiggling his eyebrows. I assumed it was safe to go out on a limb, and say that I was being set up. With Edward fucking Cullen.

_Kill me now, please._

"Knock it off, Emmett," Rose said, elbowing him in his chest and rolling her eyes. "It's not going to work."

"A hundred bucks says it will," he argued, sticking his right hand out towards her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, taking his big hand in her delicate one.

"You're on." With a firm shake of their hands, they made a bet.

"You bet your sweet little ass, it's on. Prepare to lose, sugar tits," he snickered, rubbing his chest where Rosalie elbowed him again. "Oh! There he is—Eddie!" he shouted, standing up and waving his hands towards the table. I closed my eyes, rubbed my temples and exhaled deeply. I heard a chair being pushed out and opened my eyes to see Emmett walk around the table and out of my line of sight.

"He's relentless," Rosalie sighed, sending me an apologetic half-smile as I turned my gaze to her. I shrugged and grimaced slightly, not looking forward to the inevitable introduction that was going to be taking place.

"What the hell is going on?" Angela asked in a low, sing-song voice through clenched teeth as she leaned towards me.

"I'll explain later," I sighed, biting my thumb. She nodded swiftly, relaxing a bit as her gaze swept over the boy across from her, Ben, just as her gaze had swept over him every five seconds since he introduced himself. I smirked and bit my bottom lip, trying to keep it from becoming a full on grin. I felt a kick to my foot under the table and looked up to a questioning Rosalie—apparently I hadn't done too well with hiding it. I nodded my head towards Angela, subtly, then lifted my chin slightly towards Ben, switching my gaze between the two, then back at Rose. She grinned, eyes wide in understanding, and nodded.

I heard a throat clear somewhere behind me, and I turned around, still grinning, to find Emmett standing next to that _hot piece of_ _ass_ I'd temporarily forgotten about in the midst of Angela's lust.

"Bella, this is Edward. Edward, meet Bella," Emmett grinned, looking back and forth between us.

Sexward visibly tensed as recognition washed over his face, and it took me a moment to remember that he _w_a_s_, in fact, a bastard, and I should not find him remotely attractive because of that. Once it clicked, though, my grin slipped right off my face, and I was shooting lethal daggers at every crevice of his delicious looking body. Surprisingly, he glared right back this time.

"Uh, Edward?" Emmett asked, looking between the two of us nervously. Assward turned to Emmett slowly and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't do Bipolar, Emmett," he sneered, shooting me another horrendous glare. "Thanks anyway." With that, he swiftly turned around and practically ran to the fucking food carts. Emmett stood in back of my chair, stunned and completely confused. I realized, at that point, that most of the people near us had turned their attention towards the confrontation at our table.

"What the hell are you staring at?" I snapped, turning back around in my chair and folding my arms over my chest with furrowed eyebrows. Rosalie pursed her lips, looking between Emmett and me and visibly trying not to burst into laughter.

"I think you owe me one-hundred dollars, Em," she snickered, breaking him out of his trance. He trudged back to his seat, his eyebrows furrowed as well, and plopped down in the chair.

"I don't understand," he stated monotonously.

"You rarely do," Rose quipped, patting his thigh.

"I really thought—"

"That was your first mistake," she said, cutting him off as she examined her nails. I snorted and straightened up in my seat, fixing my shirt and composing my face.

_I paid nine dollars for this meal, and I'll be damned if that fuckass not only wastes my time, but my money, too._

I heard Angela clear her throat to the left of me and I huffed, picking up my fork and stabbing it into my salad.

"Later," I growled, gazing at her from the corner of my eye and shoving the fork into my mouth, chewing greedily. She nodded and took a much more civilized bite of her salad as I sighed, swallowing my chewed up lettuce and taking a drink of my water. I stared over the edge of my cup at the table and furrowed my eyebrows, slipping into a trance of blank thoughts.

"You're going to get premature wrinkles in your forehead if you keep doing that," Rosalie chided, snapping me out of it. I rolled my eyes, tilted my head back to finish off my water and gulped it down loudly, smacking my lips and belching.

"Yeah-ha!" Emmett cheered, holding his hand up for me to smack while Rose scrunched up her face in disgust.

"You're just as bad as he is."

"Oh, get off it, princess," I grinned, slapping Emmett's hand in a high five and sticking my tongue out at Rosalie. I heard something slam on the table and jumped a bit, looking to the left to see asshole Edward sitting down between Emmett and a just as surprised looking Ben with a scowl on his face. Just the sight of him pissed me off all over again and, deciding at that moment I needed a refill, I scooted the chair back from the table roughly, snatched my cup from the table and stormed across the seating area to the drink machines.

"Stupid fucking boy," I grumbled to myself, slamming my cup against the lever for water and watching it fill intently. How dare he! _He_ missed his tutoring appointment, probably because he was too busy ordering MORE ridiculously overpriced articles of clothing, yet he had the audacity to be an asshole to _me_...for no reason!

I was snapped out of my internal rant by the feel of water cascading down my hand and forearm. I cursed and pulled the cup away from the machine, passed the cup to my other hand and sipped water from the top carefully while shaking my wet hand incessantly.

_Typical Bella._

I took a large amount of water from the cup into my mouth—enough to make my cheeks puff out ridiculously—and wiped my hand on my jeans, slowly swallowing small portions of the water.

"Bella!" I heard exclaimed from behind me. It startled me, causing me to choke on the water I was swallowing, which in turn resulted in me spewing the remaining fountain of water in my mouth all over the floor and myself. Once all of the water was sufficiently out of my mouth and my brief coughing fit was under control, I slowly turned around to find a fellow tutor, Eric Yorkie, staring at me incredulously. I wiped across my chin with the back of my hand and closed my eyes in an attempt to compose myself.

"Hello, Eric," I replied finally. I was met with silence and opened my eyes to find him still staring at me, slack jawed. I decided at that moment that when I walked back to the table, my gaze would be locked on the floor; if Eric was staring at me like I was a retard, I couldn't imagine how everybody else would be looking at me. I rolled my eyes and sighed in agitation, slammed my cup down on the counter and leaned into it.

"Were you planning on saying anything to me, or was your plan to almost kill me then gawk at me from the start?" I snapped, glaring at him. He shook his head back and forth a few times and grinned sheepishly at me.

"Sorry, Bella. I didn't—I mean, I wasn't trying—err, are you okay?" he stuttered. I sighed and straightened up, brushing my hands over the top of my water-splattered shirt.

"I am, though I can't say the same for my dignity," I mumbled, lowering my hands to my side and slumping slightly.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I stared blankly at him, blinking a few times, then looked side to side.

"Um...eating?"

"Oh! Yeah, me too. I'm just waiting for my garden burger to finish," he replied, pointing in back of him to the special order counter. I nodded, praying that his stupid garden burger would hurry up so I could hurry back to my table before someone came out to clean up my mess.

"So, Bella," he started. I looked up at him and saw him doing something weird with his eyebrows. He had a mischievous glint in his eye and smirked, and I groaned internally.

_Oh, shit. I know where this is heading._

"What?" I croaked out like a fucking idiot, as if it were really on a need-to-know basis.

"What are you doing this weekend?" he asked, flipping his hair out of his eyes with a jerk of his head.

"I'm not too sure, Eric. It's only Tuesday," I replied, grabbing my water off the counter and looking behind him, praying for the stupid little red basket to appear.

"Cool. Well, if you want, we could..."

_Please, for the love of all that is holy..._

As if it were a godsend, a basket with a garden burger slid across the counter, and I rejoiced silently.

"I think it's done!" I exclaimed, smiling brightly as he stopped mid-sentence. He looked behind him and saw the basket, grabbed it and turned back towards me, smiling hugely.

"Thanks. So, like I was saying—"

"Sorry, Eric, but I have to get back to my friends. They're probably wondering what's taking me so long. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I started walking away quickly—actually, damn near running would be a better choice of words—before he had a chance to reply, and found myself back at the table in no time. I exhaled heavily and plopped down in my seat, not bothering to scoot it back to the table, and rested my head on the back of the chair.

"What the hell happened to you?" I heard Rose ask.

"Yorkie almost caused me to choke to death, and then I managed to dodge yet another very awkward date invitation," I replied, never taking my gaze off the ceiling. Rosalie snorted and Angela patted my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said in a highly amused tone. I rolled my head to the left and smirked at her.

"Yeah, you sure sound like it. You should feel my pain, Angie; you had to deal with it all last year." She cringed and I chuckled lightly, straightening up in my seat.

"I finally had to tell him I had a boyfriend who didn't appreciate the advances. He always asks me why he never sees my boyfriend," she added thoughtfully.

"Followed by the oh-so-original, 'if you were my girlfriend, I'd never make you come to or leave work alone', I'm sure," I snorted. She grinned and nodded, chuckling lightly.

"You are absolutely correct."

"I can't believe Yorkie's trying to play us. He's probably just trying to get to you through me. Maybe if we had someone come in and say he was your boyfriend, he'd leave us both alone."

"That's a good idea," Rose piped in. "I'm sure Ben wouldn't mind playing the part, would you, Ben?"

"Rosalie, please!" Angela whispered harshly while blushing profusely.

"What? It's just a thought," Rose replied, shrugging. I looked between Angela and Ben—who at this point were both the exact same color—and barked out a laugh. Angela nudged me with her elbow and I grinned, sighing contentedly.

"So, Ben, you've been pretty silent," I said. Ben looked up with raised eyebrows and paused mid-chew, looking between Angela and me before resuming his chewing. "Tell us about yourself," I pressed. He swallowed and licked his lips, put his fork down and placed his hands on top of the table.

"Um...well, I'm from Phoenix," he started.

"So am I! What district were you in?"

"Arcadia," he replied, visibly relaxing. "What about you?"

"SoMo. Not exactly an area you richy, stuck-up folk travel to," I teased with a wink. He chuckled and shook his head.

"That's sort of presumptuous, don't you think?" Fuckward sneered. I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward.

"Why don't you just shut your fucking pie hole and mind your own business?" I hissed back. "I was obviously joking with him, not that it's any of your concern. I don't recall anybody asking your opinion on _our_—" I motioned between Ben and myself "—conversation."

"Alright," he started, slamming his palm down on the table. "I've had about enough of your shi—" Emmett slapped a hand over his mouth, effectively cutting him off. I grinned smugly, entirely entertained by the fact that the bitch ass across from me was squirming in his chair, with his protests being muffled by Emmett's large hand.

"Ugh! Gross, man," Emmett suddenly exclaimed, wiping his hand on Edward's shirt. "That was highly unnecessary."

"Your filthy hand over my mouth was highly unnecessary, you dick," Edward scowled.

"ANYway, _Ben_," I emphasized, shooting a quick glare towards dumb shit then looking back to Ben, "what are you majoring in?"

"Biology. Specifically, Cell and Molecular Biology."

"Interesting. What are you planning on doing with that?"

"Forensic DNA Analysis is my goal, but we'll see what I can get when the time comes," he shrugged, taking a drink from his cup.

"Too much Science for me," I replied, scrunching up my nose. "That's going to take you forever." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Emmett and Edward whispering back and forth, both with slight frowns on their faces. I chose to ignore it, though. I couldn't have cared less what they were talking about.

"It would have, but I basically busted my ass and completed most of the Sciences between my senior year and now, so, I'm doing alright," he nodded, smiling slightly. "So did Edward," he added. "That's how we met." I chose to ignore the last statement and grinned.

"Jeez, brainiac. You sound like Angela, over here, with her Calculus," I said, motioning towards her with my head. She blushed and looked down, pushing up her glasses. "She's a Physics major." The whispering between Edward and Emmett was becoming seemingly more loud and harsh, but I attempted to ignore it, still, figuring it'd calm down shortly.

"Ouch," he said, looking at Angela. "I'm taking Physics II right now, and it's a pain in my ass. I don't get how anybody could want to major in that, but then again, I'm sure a lot of people don't understand why I'd want to analyze DNA for a living," he smirked. "What's your concentration?" Angela smiled and cleared her throat, straightening in her seat.

"Astrophysics," she replied. I snickered internally, seeing her relax and become more confident talking to him within seconds.

"What's that?" he asked, leaning towards her over the table and seeming very interested in what she was about the explain. The whispering was only getting louder, and it was thoroughly beginning to annoy me. When Angela started going into an in-depth explanation of what Astrophysics was, and I was starting to lose track of what she was saying because the whispering was so loud, I put my foot down.

"I'm sorry, Angela, hold on a minute. Ex_cuse_ me," I shouted at the two men across from me with a very annoyed look playing on my face. They both instantly quieted and looked at me, mouths hanging slightly open. "If you two want to be rude and gossip back and forth like women, excluding everybody else from your conversation, that's fine. However, you're making it pretty fucking difficult for anybody else to converse, so if you aren't going to join in, or have a conversation we can _all_ be a part of, kindly get the fuck out, or shut _up_." Rosalie snorted and Emmett closed his mouth, looking shocked and slightly amused at my outburst, but Edward looked as annoyed as I felt.

"How about you take your own damn advice, shut _your_ pie hole and mind _your_ own damn business," he growled. "Or better yet, how about I shove my dick in your—OW! What the _fuck_, man?" he screeched, hunching over and glaring at Emmett.

"Bella is a _lady_, Edward. Watch your mouth," Emmett said, giving him a disapproving look.

"Yeah, she sure sounds like one," he scoffed, yelping when Emmett smacked him in the back of the head.

"Thank you, Emmett," I said, smiling angelically at him and glaring at Edward. Emmett laughed loudly, patting Edward on the back a little too hard—or not hard enough, in my opinion—a few times. Edward glared at him and shoved his arm away.

"Alright, heathens, I think we should go. Almost everybody is gone and the lady clearing the carts is giving us a serious stink eye," Rosalie said, pushing her seat out and standing up. We all hummed in agreement and stood up simultaneously. I grabbed my bag, unzipped it to take my sweater out, and closed it back up. I shrugged the sweater on, zipping it in the front before slipping the straps of my bag over my shoulders and grabbing my tray. I followed behind everyone, walking to the conveyor belt on the right where dirty trays were placed, and set it down.

"Why don't you all come up to our room?" Emmett suggested as we walked towards the exit. "It's still early; we can play Dance Dance Revolution on Wii!" I cringed and heard Rosalie laugh loudly.

"I don't think it's such a good idea for Bella to play that game," she said.

"Aw, why not?" Emmett asked, pouting. We all filed out the door and came to a stop, forming a loose circle and facing eachother.

"I'm a magnet for disaster. Something in your room, along with one of my bones, will probably end up broken or damaged at the very least if I play that game," I replied. Emmett laughed and ruffled my hair. I groaned and smacked his hand away, smoothing it down and tightening my pony tail.

"Little Miss Perfect has a fault; who knew?" Edward snorted, rolling his eyes. I was about to tell him where he could shove his probable 3-inch dick when Angela, obviously sensing my arising anger, stepped in.

"Yeah, sure! That sounds like fun, doesn't it, Bella?" she asked, smiling and looking at me with wide eyes—a silent plea to keep my temper under control. I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled out of my mouth a few times then opened my eyes when I felt my anger was slightly subdued.

"Actually, it feels pretty nice outside. I think I'll go for a walk," I said as we began walking the short distance towards the Towers.

"Bel_la_," Emmett whined, stressing the last syllable.

"Emm_ett_," I replied, teasingly, stopping once again in front of the doors. "I'll make it up there eventually, I'm sure. Give me your room number."

"1350," he replied with a nod.

"Here, give me your backpack. I'll take it up so you don't have to walk around with it," Rosalie offered, holding out her hand. I shrugged it off and handed it over, thanking her.

"Alright," I smiled and nodded. "If you're ready to leave before I make it up there, Ang, just call me, okay?" She nodded and rubbed my upper arm, smiling sympathetically at me. I shrugged and half-smiled, saying my temporary goodbyes to everyone and continuing up the slight hill while they walked inside.

I tried to clear my brain for the first few minutes of my walk; deep breaths in, exhaling slowly, and repeating to motions. When I'd calmed down significantly I looked around the area lit by rows of lamp posts and noticed I was already at the Student Services Building. It wasn't quite far enough, so I continued along the narrow pathway between the Student Health Center and Burk Hall, towards the bookstore. My mind began reeling as I thought back to the dinner fiasco.

What the fuck was doucheward's problem? I had every rhyme and reason to be annoyed with him; he'd wasted _my_ time, and _my _energy by not showing up. It was a hell of a fucking hike to the front of the school, especially when it was for no reason. He, on the other hand, had absolutely _no _legitimate reason to be a total dick to me. And the nerve he had! I'm not stupid; I knew what he was about to say before Emmett cut him off by injuring him. It was along the lines of what Rose told Jessica earlier in the day, and while the idea of his dick in or around my mouth wasn't exactly appalling, under the circumstances, it was pretty fucking inappropriate. I didn't appreciate it.

"Well fuck him, _and_ his dick!" I exclaimed out loud. Upon realization that I'd practically shouted that to absolutely nobody, I quickly surveyed the premises, looking for anybody in the vicinity. I was in front of the bookstore by that point, though, so there were a few people giving me strange looks. I concluded that five people witnessing my seemingly schizophrenic outburst versus fifty was endurable, though, and continued walking toward the quad area slightly embarrassed.

"It _is_ San Francisco," I reasoned with myself, mumbling aloud, again. "It's not like that was the first or last outburst they'll witness."

"Or the weirdest," a male voice added from behind me. I whirled around, clutching my heart, and inhaled sharply. I recognized the face instantly, though, and relaxed, releasing the breath I was holding. I hunched over, resting my hands on my knees, and started hyperventilating slightly.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, grimacing. "I didn't think it would scare you that much. Are you okay?"

I held up a finger, closing my eyes and fighting to regain composure and normal, even breathing. Once I calmed down, I stood upright, exhaled deeply and smacked his arm.

"Dammit, Jasper. Don't you know you shouldn't sneak up on a girl who's walking in the dark alone?"

"Yes, but I didn't think that applied to girls that shout profanities about a guy and his dick when they're alone, on school grounds," he replied, smirking slightly.

I'd met Jasper not too long after I met Rosalie. I had walked into Towers one day for my shift and saw her verbally abusing a guy who didn't seem to pay any mind to what she was saying. I'd scolded her mid-rant, and apologized profusely to the guy, who seemed highly amused. Rose then told me where I could shove my lecture, and informed me that the guy was her "idiot brother"—her twin, to be exact. We'd hit it off just as easily as Rose and I had, and he'd found a place in my heart just as quick as Rose had as well.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, rolling my eyes. "What are you up to?"

"Just got out of class," he replied, lifting his book and binder for emphasis. "What about you? I'm assuming your lack of school necessities means that isn't the case for you."

"Your roommate is a prick, and I needed to get away from him." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Which one? I didn't know you knew either of them."

"Dickward," I stated simply, shrugging. "And I didn't know either of them until today."

"Really? I figured you would have said Emmett. He can be kind of...overbearing...sometimes."

"Nah, Emmett's cool," I replied, sighing.

"So, what'd Edward do to piss you off, then?"

"He—do you want to walk with me for a little bit?" I asked, motioning towards the other end of the quad. He nodded and we walked side by side through the massive, circular space.

"Well, first, he totally ditched the tutoring session he had scheduled with me, which annoyed me enough considering he was the _fifth_ person in a row to do that to me," I ranted. "Then, when I had to work in Towers earlier, he had this package of _ridiculously _overpriced clothes, and he had all the time in the world to come and pick THAT up, but he couldn't bother to make an appearance at the tutoring session _he_ scheduled? That's fucking stupid!" I screeched, flailing my arms. Jasper pressed his hand against my arm, lowering it.

"Calm down, Bella. Breathe," he teased. I huffed and furrowed my eyebrows.

"I'm not even finished! Then, I got dragged to the DC with him, and Emmett and Rose and the like, and he was a complete asshole! He almost told me he was going to shove his dick in my mouth to shut me up, Jasper. His _penis_. In my mouth. And I _just _met him today. He is vile."

"What the fuck? Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. I nodded matter-of-factly. "Well, the package was Alice's doing, I know that much. I don't know about the tutoring thing, though. He never mentioned that to me. All the rest, though...wow. I mean, that really, _really_ doesn't sound like him, Bells."

"Well apparently, that's the version of him I get. Lucky me," I scoffed. "Who's Alice?" I questioned, looking up at him.

"Alice is..._Alice_," he said, laughing lightly and shaking his head. "She's...she's pretty amazing. More specifically, though, she's his best friend. She goes to the Art Institute and is majoring in fashion, so she's constantly buying him designer clothes. She does it to Emmett, too—she's his sister—but not as much as Edward. She says that Emmett can hold his own when it comes to dressing himself, but Edward is a lost cause." He chuckled and shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips as he sighed contentedly.

"Uh oh," I said, nudging him as a smirk crept onto my face.

"What?" he asked, looking down at me with a smile still on his lips.

"I know that look; _that's_ a look I've never seen on your face. You like her, don't you?" I asked in awe. His lips twitched and he turned his head back, facing forward, and I could tell even in the crap lighting that he was blushing.

"Aw, Jazz, you're blushing!" I exclaimed, reaching up to pinch his cheek.

"Shut up!" he laughed, swatting my hand away. I slowed my walking to a stop and he stopped as well, staring at me questioningly.

"Come on," I said, nodding my head back towards the dorms. "Lets go join the party at your place, and you can tell me all about her." He smiled shook the hair out of his eyes, falling in to step next to me again. I linked my arm through his as we started our trek back to the Towers.

"Well, she's short. Shorter than you, even, and I didn't think that was possible," he teased, winking at me.

"Hey! Five-foot-four is perfectly _average_, thank you. It's not my fault you and your friends are freaks, and fucking tall as Sasquatch."

"Sure, sure," he said, smirking. "She's got crazy, short, spiky black hair, and she's always ridiculously energetic. But more than that, she's got a good heart, and she does everything and anything she possibly can for the people she cares about. I've never met anybody like her."

"Aw, Jasper. That's sweet," I said, sighing and patting his arm. "So..." I trailed off.

"So, what?"

"So, have you asked her out?"

"No!" he shrieked, his voice cracking slightly. I snorted out a laugh and looked at him incredulously.

"Why the hell not?"

"There's so many reasons that it just...wouldn't be a good idea," he sighed, scratching his neck.

"Which is basically another way of saying you're just too chicken shit to do it," I retorted.

"_No_. Well, not really. Okay, maybe a little, but it's still true! I mean, I live with her brother and her best friend. They're both real protective of her."

"So? They're _your_ friends too; they know you enough to know you wouldn't harm her."

"That's pretty irrelevant when it comes down to it," he sighed. "Plus, I don't even know if she feels the same. It's so hard to tell with her; she's so loving with _everybody_." He huffed and I could tell he was getting frustrated, which was completely out of the norm for Jasper. He was always the calm one; the one who calmed everybody else down.

"Relax, Jazz," I said, rubbing his forearm soothingly. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. She would be a goddamn _fool _not to want you back. You're pretty much perfect," I said with a smile, bumping into him slightly.

"Aw, shucks," he teased, nudging me back. I looked around and realized we were already walking alongside the Towers. I tensed up as an automatic reaction, knowing I was going to have to face the dick wad in a matter of minutes. Jasper held the first door open for me then swiped his ID card, opening the automatic doors. He seemed to sense my tension, and threw his arm across my shoulders as we walked towards the elevators.

"Don't worry. I'll put him in place if he starts anything," he said, winking and pressing the up button.

"What time is it?" I asked as the doors opened and we walked inside. He pressed the button for the 13th floor and the doors closed.

"Uh," he started, pulling his phone out of his pocket and flipping it open. "7:30." I nodded, leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes, trying to focus on anything but the moving elevator that was reaching the destination far too fast for my liking. I heard a _ding_ and opened my eyes, seeing the doors open.

"Come on," he said, but I stayed still. "Come _on_," he drawled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of the elevator. I groaned, but complied, dragging my feet on the ground and following behind him as he turned to the left and walked all the way down the hall. He fished his keys out of his pocket when we reached the door and shoved the long, gold key in the lock, turning it and pushing open the door. I followed in behind him, stepping aside so the door could slam shut and instantly I was hit by the raucous noise from the living room.

I peered around the corner and saw Emmett flailing around like a complete idiot on that damn DDR mat, with a goofy grin on his face and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. I burst into hysterics, leaning against the wall for support, gasping for breath.

"Aw, man!" I heard Emmett whine. "You messed me up, Bella! I was so close to a perfect score."

"Sorry," I managed in between breaths, looking up at him. "You just looked fucking ridiculous." I burst into hysterics again at the mental image.

"Just for that, I'm making you play against me." I stopped laughing immediately and looked at him wide-eyed, which made everybody else in the room laugh.

"I don't think so," I said, shaking my head.

"This isn't negotiable," he said, stepping off his mat and bending down to retrieve a box from under the small entertainment center. "Come on, get over here." He opened the box and pulled out the mat, unfolded it and laid it on the ground next to the one he was using.

"Alright, but it's your funeral," I said, walking over to him. He restarted the game console and grabbed the other remote, hooking an additional piece into it.

"I can take you. No worries," he said, grinning.

"You haven't been subjected to the wrath that is Bella's clumsiness," Jasper piped in. "She single-handedly took down a line-up of belly-dancers just by trying to get to the bathroom, once. It was like a freak domino effect." I turned around and glared at him, blushing as I remembered the disaster that was dinner at a local Moroccan restaurant. He and Rose laughed, obviously replaying the event in their minds, and I grunted.

"Have you ever played this game?" Emmett asked, messing around with the remote before handing it over to me.

"Briefly," I replied, taking it from him. "Not on Wii, though."

"Well, it's basically the same. Only difference, really, is that you have to use your hands when you see the diamonds. If it's on the left side, you move your left hand, if it's on the right, you move your right hand." I nodded, understanding at least that much. "Alright, pick your character," he said, choosing his instantly. I moved my remote around, but I couldn't get it where I wanted it to go; the pointer kept veering too far in the opposite direction of where I needed it be.

"Dammit!" I grunted, furrowing my eyebrows. "How the hell do I do this?" Emmett snorted and motioned for me to hand over the remote, asking me what character I wanted and selecting it for me effortlessly before handing it back. The image on the TV shifted to read the name of the game briefly before the start screen came up, showing the characters.

"Alright, baby. It's on!" he howled, stepping onto his mat. I cringed and did the same, praying silently for minimal injury as the music started.

"Disco inferno? Really, Emmett?" He grinned and shrugged, leaning forward in what I assumed to be his starting stance. The arrows started coming and as soon as they lit up, he was bouncing around like an asshole again. I was trying desperately to pay attention to my character, shifting my gaze between the screen and my mat and stiffly moving my feet back and forth, side to side while twitching my hands when the diamonds showed up. I heard everybody cackling behind us, cheering us on.

"I can't believe she hasn't tripped yet!" I heard Angela exclaim through her laughter.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, still desperately trying to concentrate. "Shut the fuck u—shit!" I yelled as my right foot somehow got caught behind my left heel. I felt myself falling over and clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the nightmare to begin; I could only hope that nothing of value was destroyed.

I felt myself fall into Emmett's side. He yelped in surprise, and lost his balance, causing us both to topple over. I heard another voice yell out and a crash, but we were sprawled out on the floor before I had a chance to see who and what else was affected by my incessant clumsiness. I groaned and sat up, looking around to see Ben, Emmett, and Edward—he'd been so silent, I'd forgotten he was even in the room—staring at me with their jaws hanging open. That didn't surprise me, considering they'd never witnessed my capabilities. Angela was hunched over in hysterics, her hands cupping her mouth, Rose had a huge, knowing grin playing on her face, and Jasper—wait, where the hell was Jasper?

"Get off of me, fucking Judas!" I heard him yell, though it was slightly muffled. Emmett snapped out of his trance and looked side to side before rolling over to reveal Jasper sprawled out, gasping for air on the ground.

"Shit, Jasper, are you okay?" I asked, scrambling to my knees and crawling over to him frantically.

"I'm fine," he huffed, groaning as he sat up. "I can't say I'll be so lucky the next time he falls on top of me, though. Jesus, Em, how much do you fucking weigh?" he asked, rubbing his chest.

"195 pounds of pure muscle, baby," he grinned, flexing his arms. I stood up and held my hand out to Jasper, helping him up when he grabbed it.

"Maybe next time you'll listen," I scolded, turning to Emmett and frowning.

"No way! That was the best thing I've ever experienced!" he chortled, standing up and plopping down on the sofa next to a still-awe-stricken Edward. I rolled my eyes and sat on the arm of Rosalie's chair.

It was silent for a few minutes, then out of nowhere I heard snickering. I looked to the right and saw Edward shaking with laughter that was growing louder by the second, until he was outright guffawing. Everybody turned to stare at him incredulously, not understanding what the hell he was laughing about since nothing had been said.

"I can't—she just...toppled, and, and Em—Jazz—slow...motion—_crashed_!" he howled, smacking his hands together upright then pushing them down a full ninety-degrees to the right. I narrowed my eyes at him and huffed.

"It wasn't _that _fucking funny," I grunted.

"The hell it wasn't!" he shouted through his laughter. After 30 seconds of continuous, _annoying _laughter, I was done.

"That's it, I'm leaving," I said, standing up and looking around for my backpack.

"Oh, please. I'm sure you're plenty used to people laughing at you," he snickered, a huge grin still on his face.

"Fuck you," I hissed, thoroughly pissed off.

"I already said I don't do Bipolar, but thanks," he scoffed. I whirled around to face him, narrowing my eyes and slowly inching towards him with my finger pointed in his direction.

"I'm about 10 seconds away from shoving that up your ass, so keep talkin', cock sucker," I threatened, pointing behind his head to the long, thick, metal rod holding up the lamp. Before he had a chance to respond, Angela was out of her seat and dragging me away by my arm.

"Okay, I think it's time to go, now," she shouted, leaving me in the hallway next to the door and walking to the open closet to grab my bag.

"Here," she said, thrusting it at me and whirling me around by my shoulders. I grabbed the handle on the door and threw it open, storming into the hallway. "Bye, everybody. It was nice to meet you all," she shouted as she came into the hall behind me, holding the door open slightly.

"Only two of you!" I shouted as the door started closing. There were a chorus of goodbye's as the door slammed shut, and I stomped down the hall towards the elevators. There were people coming out of one, and I rushed past them, not caring if they were staring at me like I was a lunatic.

"Bella," Angela started once we were inside and on our way down.

"Not now," I growled. She nodded and silently stepped out of the elevator once it reached the main floor with me trudging behind closely, a scowl etched on my face.

We walked from the Towers to the apartment in complete silence, with me fuming internally and her allowing me to, but once the front door closed she didn't spare a second before the interrogation began.

"Okay, what the _hell_ was that?" she demanded as I made my way towards the couch.

"Can I sit down first, please? Christ," I muttered, plopping down on the couch and frowning at the blank screen on the TV.

"Alright, you're sitting down. Spill it."

I sighed, kicked off my shoes and brought my knees to my chest as she sat on the other end of the couch, facing me.

"There's nothing to spill. He's an asshole, and he pissed me off," I stated simply with a shrug.

"That much was obvious, Bella. I didn't even know you knew him," she said skeptically.

"I don't," I mumbled, picking at the couch.

"Then how can you dislike him so much already?"

"Why are you so keen on defending him?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes at her.

"I'm _not_, I'm just trying to understand. And don't get cross with me, I didn't do anything," she scolded. I sighed and leaned my head against the back of the couch.

"Sorry," I mumbled, rolling my head to the left to look at her. She smirked and rolled her eyes, tilting her head to the side.

"It's fine. Now, what the hell did he do to piss you off so bad?"

"He's the asshole that skipped out on the tutoring session earlier," I huffed, crossing my arms. There was silence for a few seconds before I heard Angela laughing quietly. "What the hell is so funny?" I growled, glaring at her.

"He didn't skip out on you, Bella. Even if he had have, though, what do you care? People always skip out on you, and you didn't seem too upset when you left."

"Yeah, sure he didn't. And I wasn't pissed off until I got to Towers and saw his fancy $500 sweater and jeans combo package. I mean, who the fuck spends that much on a sweater and jeans?!" I screeched, exasperated all over again. "Assholes who like to waste money _and _other peoples' time. Assholes, by the name of _Edward Cullen_."

At some point I'd apparently begun talking to myself, forgetting Angela was even in the room while I seethed quietly until she snorted out a laugh.

"What?"

"He didn't skip out, Bella. He came into the office not too long after you left to fix his schedule because _someone—_and it wasn't me!—messed it up during registration, then decided to change it without telling him."

_Oh. Shit._

"Well, If he hadn't have been so _lazy_ and actually taken care of it earlier, this wouldn't have even been a problem!" I argued, refusing to admit defeat.

"He had a class, Bella, not that it even _matters_. At least he's serious enough about getting tutored to come in and fix it in the first place. Wasn't that the initial problem?"

"I—no, well, kind of, but—"

_**Shit**__. I got nothin'._

"Bella! You're being irrational, what the hell is wrong with you?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm a girl! I'm allowed to be irrational!" I shouted, standing up and throwing my arms in the air.

"Okay, crazy, I think you need to turn in for the night," she said, standing up. "Sleep it off; you'll be over it in the morning." She patted my upper arm and turned me around, shoving me towards the hallway and to my room. I obliged, knowing she was right, and walked into my room, flicking the light switch that turned my bedside lamp on and shutting the door.

Truthfully, I didn't really know why I was so pissed. Well, besides the obvious fact that he was a complete dick. Okay, so maybe I did. I was pissed because I had made an assumption based off of _clothes—_who does that?—and a gorgeous face. I was pissed off at myself, but I would have rather acted pissed off at him. I knew I was being irrational, but I hated admitting that I was wrong. I didn't _want_ to admit or accept that I was wrong, especially since the realization that I'd glowered at a complete stranger all afternoon for absolutely _no _reason was setting in.

I groaned loudly and flopped face first onto my bed, laying there in silence for a few minutes. I sighed into the comforter and crawled back on my bed, standing up and unbuttoning my jeans. I slid them off and crawled into bed, pulling up the covers and wiggling around to get comfortable. I groaned, realizing I forgot to turn the light off. I didn't feel like getting up so I reached my arm over and turned the lamp off, leaving the switch flipped up on the wall. The red numbers from the alarm clock shone brightly in the pitch black of my room.

9:05 PM; earlier than I normally would go to sleep, but at that moment, I didn't really really care. Despising someone unfairly was extremely exhausting. I rolled onto my stomach and folded my arms under my pillow, reveling in the cool feel of it on my warm skin.

"Damn you for being so fine, Assward," I mumbled into my pillow. Maybe if he had have dressed stupid and had a huge beard I wouldn't have been so irrational. I definitely still would have been annoyed, but he could have saved us both a lot of grief by just being a little bit ugly. "Yeah," I agreed out loud with my thoughts through a yawn. "It's still his fault."

I closed my eyes, snuggling into my pillow and sighed contentedly before falling quickly into a deep slumber.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open slowly as my alarm clock blared. I groaned and reached over slowly, smacking my hand on top of it blindly, trying to turn it off. Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to make a clock sound like twenty geese were honking in your ear to wake you up? I would have liked to meet him, so I could have kicked him in the nuts for such a stupid idea.

I buried my face into the pillow and groaned. It was 11 in the morning; I shouldn't have been so tired still, especially considering how early I'd fallen asleep the night before. I sighed and rolled onto my side, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and sitting up. I stretched and yawned, scratched my stomach and hoisted myself out of bed. I trudged sleepily towards my bedroom door, not bothering to put on any pants since I knew Angela would be on campus already, and opened it, turning to the right and walking through the living room to the kitchen. I went to the cabinets and grabbed a plate, set it on the counter top and walked over to the freezer. There was a folded up piece of paper attached to the clip magnet with a note from Angela written on it:

_Bella,_

_Here's your most recent schedule for the week—yes, another one. I didn't get a chance to give it to you last night, but considering the circumstances, it's probably better that I didn't. The session isn't until 3, though, so you have plenty of time to get your head out of your ass._

_Love you!_

_Ang_

I blinked a few times and re-read the last line over and over again. Get my head out of my ass? She thought my head was up my ass?

"Well good morning to you, too," I grunted, unfolding the paper. I scanned the print for Wednesday and thanked the higher power that there was only one session scheduled for the day.

Until, of course, I saw the name of the person I was supposed to tutor.

"Oh, _come_ on! I mean, really? Is this your idea of a fucking joke?" I shouted, waving the paper in the air and looking at the ceiling. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to happen, but all I got in return from my rant was silence, and gratitude on my part that I only lived with one person who was already gone.

I sighed and threw the paper on the counter next to the fridge, went back to the freezer and pulled out a hot pocket. I unwrapped it, put it in the little crisper pocket, and shoved it in the microwave, setting it for 2 minutes and pressing start.

I stood next to the microwave with my back against the counter and stared at the offending piece of paper across from me. I understood at that point why Angela had told me to get my head out of my ass. Edward Cullen was my tutee, and, above all of the bullshit, it was my job to tutor him to the best of my abilities. I'd already rationalized that I basically had no reason to hate him—initially, at least—and that, more than likely, his attitude toward me was a direct result of my sudden and seemingly unjustified resentment toward him upon our first meeting.

The microwave beeped, signaling that my hot pocket was finished, and I took it out, setting the plate aside to let it cool before I ate it. I bit my lip and narrowed my eyes in concentration; Angela was right, as usual. I had to figure out some way to make the situation better. Maybe if I was able to explain myself and my actions before our session began later in the day, he'd understand, and we'd be able to start fresh.

I wasn't so sure that would work, though.

"It'll have to do," I muttered, grabbing my plate off the counter and walking into the living room to watch TV.

~º~º~

By 2:30 PM, I was showered, dressed, and ready to head out the door for my tutoring session with Edward. Since it was the only thing I had on my schedule for the afternoon—I was working a night shift at Mary Ward Hall, so I'd be able to go back home before work—I only brought the necessities for the session: a Statistics book and a binder with all the class notes I had when I'd taken the course. I didn't feel like hiking all the way up there, though, so I opted for the lazy route and headed across the street to the shuttle stop in front of the dorms; it would make a stop at the front of the school before heading to the Daly City Bart station.

It pulled up at 2:40, and I climbed on, taking a seat in the right, middle section. There was one stop made in the back of the Stonestown Galleria before the drop off in the front of the campus, and with ten minutes to spare, I climbed off the shuttle and headed into the building, taking the elevator to the third floor and walking down a few corridors until I reached the right room.

"Hey," I said to Angela as I walked through the door. She swiveled in her seat from behind the sign-in desk to look at me and smiled.

"Hey, feeling better?"

"Yes, actually. Thanks for the note," I said, smirking. She grinned and shrugged, placing her elbow on the desk and propping her chin up with her palm. "Is he here?" I asked, slightly afraid of her answer as I reached in my back pocket for my ID card and made my way around the desk.

"No, not yet," she replied, scooting out of my way. "It's four minutes to three, though, so I'm sure he'll be here soon." I nodded and set the book and binder down on the desk and brought up the program to clock in, swiped my card, then stuck it back in my pocket.

"Okay," I said, still nodding, and wiped my hands on my jeans. "I'm gonna get set up, so just send him over when he comes." She nodded in agreement and handed me my paper name tag to place on the table. I grabbed my things, walked out the door and across the hall to the room where the sessions took place. I took an empty table fairly close to the door, but in front of a dry erase board, in case I needed to demonstrate anything. I placed my name tag in the center of the table, along with my book and binder, and sat down, waiting for him to show up. No more than 2 minutes later, he strolled through the door, looking at a piece of paper, then looked up and around. When his gaze landed on me, he paused, then walked forward infinitesimally, eyes narrowing as he turned his focus to my name tag. He looked at his paper, back up at me, then my name tag, and immediately turned on his heel.

I blew out the breath I didn't know I was holding and followed hurriedly out the door after him and into the room Angela occupied.

"Edward, wait, let me—" I started.

"No," he stated simply, shaking his head before turning to Angela. "No, absolutely not. Change this, _please_."

"I can't," she said, biting her lip and looking between me and Edward.

"What do you mean you can't? My schedule was changed before! Change it again!"

"There's only one other math tutor, and he doesn't have any more openings," Angela said, cringing slightly.

"There has to be_ something_ you can do!" he pleaded, gripping the desk so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"I'm sorry, Edward, there really isn't. Besides, she's the best math tutor we have. She's your best bet, really," she said, nodding encouragingly. He looked between me and Angela a few times and, realizing he basically didn't have a choice if he wanted help, stood up straight, smoothing out his expression.

"Fine," he said shortly, staring harshly at me and clenching his jaw. "I guess I'll just have to endure it." He turned on his heel and walked past me quickly, leaving me stunned in place.

"Bella, are you okay?" Angela asked, worriedly. I blinked rapidly for a moment, looked at her and nodded once roughly.

"I'm great," I replied, turning on my heel and walking back across the hall and through the door, over to my table, where he was seated with his jaw clenched again.

Rational Bella was out the window, once again. I was willing to explain before, but he wouldn't even listen. That was perfectly fine, though. If that was the way he wanted to play, I'd more than willingly comply.

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Chapter End Notes: **Thanks for reading, y'all! Make me happy! Review, _pleeeeease_? :D

P to the S: Does anybody feel like making a banner for me? Haha, I don't really feel like doing it myself, but I'd like one. Let me know if you're interested, or if you whip one up, go ahead and e-mail it to me at

Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5: Sexy poses & Sexless eons

**Chapter Notes: **Finally, right? Haha. I just finished Chapter 6 last night, so I decided to post this for you fine people. :) Thanks for all the reviews! This is another long chapter; 9,819 words! Thank you to Hannah, of course. I miss you! Enjoy. :)

**Disclaimer: **What I own: Edward Callan  
What I don't own: Edward Cullen and all his fictional friends. Le sigh.

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Chapter Song: Main Offender – The Hives

* * *

--EPOV--

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuck me."

I groaned and reached over, slamming my fist on top of my alarm clock to silence the loud echoing off the walls. I dropped my hand lazily from the side table to the floor, my fingers skimming along the carpet, and closed my eyes, drifting back to sleep.

"_Edward," she purred, getting on her hands and knees and crawling across the mattress to me. I gulped, staring at her gorgeous tits as she straightened up, swung a leg over my lap and straddled me._

"_Edward," she repeated, breathing into my ear before biting my earlobe gently and tugging on it. "I'm so wet for you." I moaned lightly at the declaration and grasped her ass tightly, pulling her hips into mine harshly._

"_Fuck, you feel so good, baby," I said huskily, running my hands up her back to her bra clasp. I unhooked it, running my hands across her upper back and down her sides. She pulled back, looking straight at me as she bit her bottom lip sexily. I groaned, digging my fingers into her hips as she hunched her shoulders slightly, grabbed the straps of her red, lacy bra, and slowly started to pull them down._

"_How bad do you want me?" she whispered, her bra sliding down her chest tantalizingly slow._

"_I'm so fucking hard for you, Megan," I growled, thrusting upwards roughly so she could feel just how hard I was. She moaned, closing her eyes, and I reveled in how great her tits looked bouncing up and down. I could only imagine how great they'd look when she was bouncing up and down on my dick._

"_Mmm, fuck me, Edward," she breathed out, pulling her bra all the way down and off her arms. My eyes trailed across her shoulders and up and down her neck, savoring how sexy every part of her was._

"_I'll fuck you so hard, you won't even remember your own name," I growled, as my gaze flitted across the top of her chest, lowering until her tits were almost in my line of—_

"WAKE up!" I heard exclaimed as something bashed loudly against the wall. My eyes flew open and before I could comprehend what was going on, I was face down on the floor, tangled in my sheets. I heard booming laughter and groaned, knowing there was only one person that obnoxious fucking laugh could belong to.

"What the _fuck_, Emmett?" I mumbled, pushing myself onto my side and looking up groggily to see him standing about ten feet in front of me, and Jasper leaning on the wall next to my armoire. "What are you doing in here?"

"Hey, this is my fucking room too," he said and I rolled my eyes. "It's a beautiful morning! _And_," he started, bending down to grab my covers and yanking them away from me, "we have class in 45 minutes, so I suggest you get your lazy ass out of bed and get dressed."

I'd started to get up, but froze in place at his words.

"Since when do you give a shit about getting to class on time?" I asked incredulously.

"Since I figured out that this class is fucking _awesome_! Dude, vampire traditions? You can't beat that! I was reading the syllabus yesterday—yeah, I _know_," he exclaimed as I stood up, giving him an even more astonished look, "and it said we're going to talk about vampire sex today. How fucking _awesome_ is that, dude? This is like, the most amazing sex dream turned into reality. We get 3 hours of being taught what kinky vampire sex is like, _and _it fulfills second year GE requirements for English," he rambled. I stretched, arching my back a little, and sighed.

"It's vampire sex_uality_, Emmett. I don't think it's going to be quite as detailed as you think it will be."

"Whatever, it's still interesting," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Speaking of sex dreams," Jasper said with a smirk, "it sounded like someone was having a pretty heated one a few minutes ago."

"Yeah!" Emmett added, grinning. "Who's Megan?" I grunted and bent down, pulling open a few drawers located under the bed.

"Megan Fox," I said, grabbing my favorite pair of black pants, and a pair of boxers before shutting the drawers.

"_Nice_," Emmett said as he opened up my armoire, grabbed a black t-shirt and threw it at me. Jasper hummed in agreement.

"Well it was, until your bitch ass woke me up. I was so close to seeing her tits," I sighed as I spread the shirt out to see what he'd grabbed. I groaned, balling it up in my hands, and grabbed a white thermal undershirt before closing all the drawers with my foot.

"What? It's an awesome shirt!"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered as I walked out of the room and to the bathroom. I closed the door, put my clothes on top of the toilet lid and brushed my teeth. I wiped off my face, stripped down and got redressed quickly, then looked in the mirror. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, knowing there was no point in even attempting to tame it, and chewed on the inside of my cheek. I stared at the light grey print on my shirt and snorted.

"Orgasm Donor," I mumbled, shaking my head. I grabbed my dirty clothes off the floor and opened the door, walking back into my bedroom to throw them in my hamper. "If Lauren fucking Mallory comes after my ass again because of this, you're dead!" I shouted. Emmett walked into the bathroom snickering, undoubtedly remembering my recall of events to him the day before. I grabbed a pair of socks from my drawer and my black and grey plaid Vans, sat on the floor and put them on, double-knotting the laces.

"You ready to go?"

I looked up and saw Jasper in front of the doorway.

"Almost. What time is it?" I asked, standing up and walking over to my computer desk to get my things together.

"10:30," he said. "We still have about 20 minutes before we need to leave."

I nodded to myself as he walked into the bathroom after Emmett emerged. I grabbed my backpack off the floor, set it in the chair, opened it up and grabbed my Physics lab book, stuffing it inside—there was no assigned text book for the vampire class, and I had my Physics lab after. I made sure I had my Statistics book for my tutoring session later in the day, zipped it up, unplugged my phone from the charger and shoved it in my pocket, grabbed my backpack and carried it out of the room and into the hall, throwing it in the open closet next to the door.

Emmett was sitting on the couch, watching TV as I made my way into the kitchen. I opened a cabinet, grabbed a bowl, then opened another cabinet and grabbed some Golden Grahams and set them on the counter. I opened the fridge and grabbed the milk and chocolate syrup, poured the cereal into the bowl, covered the squares with chocolate syrup, then poured the milk in. I grabbed a spoon out of the drain, dug in to the cereal and shoveled a big spoonful into my mouth. I turned around, bowl in hand and paused upon seeing Emmett staring blankly at me.

"What?" I asked, though it was muffled because my mouth was still full of cereal. I started chewing it again and sat on the couch next to him, turning my attention to the TV.

"Chocolate syrup on cereal? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"It's delicious," I defended, swallowing the chewed up cereal in my mouth. "Don't even get me started on your weird concoctions. Spray cheese on Oreo's, remember that?"

"_That_ was fucking delicious," he said.

"That was fucking disgusting, is what it was. This is completely normal in comparison," I said, lifting my bowl slightly before shoving another bite into my mouth. He eyed it and leaned forward, sniffing at it lightly.

"You're not a dog looking for a patch of grass to piss on, Emmett," I said, pulling the bowl to my right and away from his face. "There's no need to smell it."

"Let me try some," he prodded, still leaning over and looking at it. I rolled my eyes and swallowed the cereal in my mouth, scooped some onto the spoon and lifted it to his mouth, the bowl underneath it to make sure no milk spilled. He leaned forward and took the cereal into his mouth, and I pulled the spoon away, shoving it back into the bowl and pulling out another bite for myself.

"What the fuck was that?"

I looked to the right and saw a confused looking Jasper standing in the opening of the living room. I snorted and shoved the spoon into my mouth.

"That's how we bond, Jazz. Don't hate," Emmett said with his mouth full.

"Yeah, go away, you're intruding on our moment," I joked. He looked at us oddly and walked into the kitchen, shaking his head.

"You're right, man. That's pretty fucking good. Give me some more!" Emmett said, reaching for the bowl. I pulled it out of his reach and leaned over the arm of the couch as he practically laid across my back, smashing me to death in his attempt to get the bowl.

"Get your own, bastard, and get the fuck off of me, I can't breathe!" I huffed and kicked my foot back, making contact with his calf. He laughed loudly in my ear and I cringed as I felt his weight being pulled off of me.

"Are you incapable of laughing at a normal volume?" I asked as I sat up, rubbing my left ear and glaring at him.

"Pretty much," he said. I took another bite, and as soon as the spoon entered my mouth, my bowl disappeared out of my hand. I stared at my palm in confusion then looked around, spotting the bowl in Emmett's hand.

"Hey!" I yelled with the spoon still in my mouth. He shrugged and grinned cheekily at me, and I rolled my eyes, took the spoon out of my mouth, chewed the cereal quickly then licked all over the spoon before tossing it into the bowl. "Enjoy, asshole."

"Thanks!" he shouted as I stood up and walked back to the bathroom to brush my teeth again. I chuckled, knowing that something as gross as my chewed up bits of cereal all over the spoon would not stop him from scarfing down the remainder in the bowl before I finished in the bathroom. I wiped my face off with a towel after thoroughly brushing my teeth and walked out of the bathroom, grabbed my backpack and slid the straps on.

"Come on, we have to go!" I shouted, pulling open the door. They both rounded the corner with their backpacks, slipped them on and we headed out the door and down to hall to the elevators.

My phone went off and I fished it out of my pocket as the doors opened. We stepped in, Jasper pushed the button for the lobby and the doors closed as I turned my phone on vibrate only and checked the text message I'd received.

**_I had a dream you met your soul mate. Coincidence? Or are you holding out on me?_**

I snorted and hit reply as I felt the elevator start to descend.

**_I could never hold out on you, even if I wanted to, Alice. What are you on about?_**

The elevator stopped and I looked up at the digital screen on the wall, seeing that we were on the 8th floor as the elevator doors opened.

"Fuck," I cursed, bending my head and casting my gaze downward as two girls who were almost as bad as seeing Lauren herself walked into the elevator. I snarled a string of curses at Emmett inside my head as I was reminded again of what my shirt said. I crossed my arms over the insignia quickly, hoping the bimbos didn't see what it said, as the doors closed and we started descending. I heard Emmett's snickering and sharply turned my head towards him, glaring. My phone vibrated in my hand and I brought it directly in front of my face as somewhat of a blockade and opened the new text.

_**Har har. Don't play coy with me, Edward. Who is she?**_

"Oh, _hi_ Edward!" I heard in an annoyingly high pitched voice. "I like your shirt. Is that a promise?" she purred. I cringed and looked up at her briefly as she blinked rapidly, in an attempt to bat her eyelashes, I could only assume. My eyes flitted over to the vaguely familiar face of Victoria's friend—Heidi, or something along those lines—back to Victoria, then down to my phone.

_Noooooooot on your life, tweaker._

"His idea of a joke," I muttered, motioning my head towards Emmett as I hit the reply button and pounded furiously on the keypad.

I really have no idea what you're talking about, Alice. I'm not even interested in anybody right now. By the way, would you hate me if I killed your brother tonight in his sleep?

"Not far from the truth, from what I've heard," her friend piped in. I looked at her and she licked her lips.

_Is it just me, or is this elevator becoming entirely too small all of a sudden?_

The elevator dinged and before I could comprehend what was going on I was being pulled out by my arm and dragged into the lobby by Jasper. He let go once we were out of the dorms completely and I sighed, looking cautiously behind me as we walked up the slightly elevated concrete.

"I owe you," I said, turning to Jasper and giving him a look of gratitude.

"Don't worry about it. You looked like you were about to have a panic attack," he said, shrugging and giving me a half-smile.

"Well I thought that was genius," Emmett piped in with a grin. I scowled and ignored his remark, reading the text I'd just received from Alice.

**_Ha ha. Right. Not at all._**

I hit the reply button, briefly glancing at Emmett who still had the shit-eating grin on his face, and began typing out the message.

_**No, seriously. I love him, but he has no compassion when it comes to a brother suffering the wrath of brain dead hookers in an enclosed space. Even in an open space, really.**_

"So Edward," I heard Jasper start as we turned to the right, taking a short cut to the Humanities building between the Villages and the SSB.

"Hmm," I replied absently, shoving my phone in my pocket and tapping my fingers against my thigh.

"What's up with you and Bella?"

My fingers halted their tapping and immediately balled into fists. He _would_ have to ruin my morning by mentioning _her_.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about," he said as we stopped briefly to let a group of people pass us.

"No, I really don't, Jasper," I replied, already getting annoyed at where the conversation could potentially be headed.

"He wants to know why you two are ready to rip each others' assholes out," Emmett said matter-of-factly as we approached the back entrance of the Humanities building. "Did you bone her and bounce?"

"No, you fuck," I snapped. "Why don't you just ask her? Apparently she knows something I don't, though I'm not really sure what concern it is to either of you." I kicked the handicapped button on the wall to make the doors open automatically so that I wouldn't have the option of smacking Emmett in the face with it. I walked in first, turned immediately to the left and started up the stairs, hearing their footsteps behind me a few seconds later.

"Bella's my friend," Jasper said as I started up the second flight of stairs, "and she said you were being a dick for no reason." I scoffed loudly and walked out of the stairwell, into the corridor of the second floor.

"Well I hate to tell you this, Jasper," I said as I walked straight down the hall towards the classroom, "but I think your _friend_ may be mentally unstable, because if I remember correctly, all I did was pick up a fucking package and I got a death glare."

"Okay, boys, all right," Emmett said, slapping us both on the shoulders. "Can't we all just get along?"

"Bite me," Jasper and I said in unison. My lips twitched into a small smile and I shifted my gaze to the right, seeing Jasper laughing lightly and Emmett with a huge grin on his face.

"That's more like it," he said as we walked into the class and up the three steps to the back row. I unzipped my backpack and grabbed a pen and a notebook, threw my backpack on the ground and sat in the seat, lowering the desk part. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I fished it out, opening the text message.

**_Ho's are like stray cats. When you feed one, they all want a taste and won't go the hell away. That's what you get for not having standards._**

I snorted at the analogy and hit reply as Professor Hackenberg started writing things on the dry erase board.

**_I was drunk! It could have just as easily been the house plant, or a gnome, even._**

"Who are you talking to?" Emmett leaned forward in his seat and whispered loudly to me.

"Your sister," I replied, reading her almost-immediate response.

**_Either of those would have been better._**

"Tell her I said hi, and Zac Efron is gay."

"Them some fightin' words," I muttered, hitting the reply button as the Professor started her class introduction.

**_Can't argue with that. Alright, time for class. Emmett says hi, and that Zac Efron is gay. Talk to you later._**

_**xx**_

~º~º~

"I tried to tell you, Emmett," I said through snorts of laughter at his disappointed face as we walked out of class.

"Yeah, but I thought—"

"We've all warned you about doing that," Jasper teased.

"Shut up, asshole," Emmett barked. "You sound just like your sister."

"You should take that as a compliment, under the circumstances," I said, looking at Jasper as we entered the stairwell. He scoffed and shook his head as we jogged quickly down the stairs, approaching the main entrance and exit of the first floor. We each slammed on the metal bar of different doors, walking out and straight towards the small amount of steps that led up to the flat campus grounds.

"I hate this stupid class," Emmett muttered, scratching his head and looking to the right as we came to a stop.

"We all have to take it, man," I said, grinning and slapping his shoulder.

"It's just so boring," he complained. "What the fuck good does knowing the four stages of sleep and rapid eye movement do me? I'm majoring in fucking business, I don't need to know the sleeping habits of my future employees."

"True, but you _do _need it to be able to _get_ future employees, so quit complaining and get it over with," I said.

"Says the guy who complains every day about math," he scoffed. I shrugged and raised my eyebrows.

"Hey, this is my fourth time attempting math here in general," I defended. "At least I'm getting it done, though." He nodded in agreement and sighed, lifted a hand in a wave and turned to the right, walking towards the Creative Arts building where his General Psychology class was held. I laughed and turned to Jasper, motioning my head to the left as a signal for us to start walking—his next class was in Thornton Hall while mine was in the portables behind the building.

"What class is it that you have again?" I asked.

"Meteorology," he said, sighing as we turned to the right at SSB and started down the long path towards our designated buildings.

"Ah, okay. Wait, why?" He shrugged and rolled his head lazily towards me.

"Dunno. I like the weather, so I figured taking a class about weather wouldn't be too bad." I laughed, but nodded at his rationale.

"How is that going for you?"

"It's pretty cool, actually. I never thought I'd be so into the mechanics of rain." He laughed and shook his head, looking up at the sky.

"Cool. Hey, maybe you can be a weather man," I joked, elbowing him. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, lowering his head to look forward again. "In all seriousness, though, have you narrowed the field down to anything?"

"Yes and no. I'm pretty positive I want to go into Clinical Psychology," said, nodding to himself. "I'm still on the fence about what path to take from that, though."

"It doesn't matter, yet" I said, shrugging. "The pre-req's are all the same, right?" He hummed in agreement and shrugged.

"Yeah, but it'd still be nice to know ahead of time what I'm working towards. You've known you wanted to be a Medical Examiner for a while, so you came into this fully prepared."

"True, but at least you're in the general vicinity of what you want. Most people here aren't even _that _far ahead," I reasoned. "You'll be fine." I slapped him on his back and he grinned appreciatively at me. We'd reached the buildings and Jasper climbed a few stairs before stopping and turning towards me.

"All right, man, I'll see you later," he said. I nodded and waved slightly, walking the short distance to my lab room, as he started up the rest of the stairs. "Hey!" he called out as I was about to start up the ramp leading to the door. I turned around and jutted my chin out, throwing my hands up in a silent indication for him to say whatever it was he wanted to say.

"Sorry about the whole Bella thing," he said, scratching his neck. "You're right. It's none of my business." I chuckled and shook my head, waving my hand in dismissal.

"Don't worry about it," I shouted back . He waved and walked into the building, and I opened the door to my lab room, walked to the left and all the way back where Ben was seated next to my empty stool.

"Hey man," I grinned, throwing my bag down and straddling the seat, then turned to the left to face him.

"Sup," he said, nodding at me and twirling his pencil in his hand.

"Not much," I replied, looking around the room and spotting the lab teacher, Adrian. Our eyes met and she raised her eyebrows, a smile threatening to break through her obvious attempt to keep it at bay. I smirked at her and raised my eyebrows as well. I remembered at that moment what my shirt said and turned my head to the side, arched my back, raised my arms up and bent them at the elbows, knowing that would make the writing and emblem lay flat across my chest, thus making it more legible. I stayed that way for a few seconds longer than necessary, groaned, and lowered my arms, turning my gaze back towards her. She was staring at my chest, then looked up at my face, bit her lip and laughed lightly. She turned her head and shook it, then looked at me slyly again. I chuckled, grinned widely at her, then turned back to Ben. He was staring at me incredulously and I laughed loudly, hunching over with my hands on my knees.

Adrian Brunner-Brown was a 24 year-old Grad student at UC Berkeley, and was working towards some sort Biophysicist program in New York, but was offered a job teaching our wonderful lab once a week for two hours in the meantime, and for some reason or another, she took it. Thankfully.

She never wore makeup, had straight brown hair, always wore jeans and tank tops or flannel shirts, her tits weren't huge and neither was her ass, but she was _so_ fucking hot in such a non-conventional way, and—I wasn't arrogant, really, I wasn't, but it was **so**fucking_ obvious—_the minute she laid eyes on me, I knew she thought I was just as appealing. Even though we'd only had three classes to date, not including the one that was taking place, we'd spent a total of 6 hours together, continuously doing things like we just had. Nothing had happened between us yet, but the semester had just begun, and I had every intention of making _something_ come out of our flirtatious banter within the following four months.

"What?" I asked him innocently.

"You're ridiculous," he chuckled, shaking his head. I shrugged and put my right arm on the lab counter, bent my arm at the elbow, and leaned my side against it.

"Sorry about last night, man," I said, scratching my thigh.

"What do you mean?"

"Sorry for all the people, and I was kind of trying to avoid fighting with that bi—someone there," I said, changing my words up—I'd decided she wasn't worth getting uptight over, and refraining from calling her names was included in that. "I wasn't really great company."

"Ah, yeah, I noticed that," he said, nodding. "What the hell was up with you two?"

"I don't even know," I said, shrugging and facing forward in my seat as I heard Adrian start to talk to the class. "I met her earlier in the day yesterday when I went to pick up a package, and we were talking, and laughing and shit, then she took my package slip and within—literally, I'm _not_ fucking exaggerating here—three seconds, she started glaring at me." I leaned down to unzip my backpack and grab my lab book and a pencil, then sat back up, tossing them onto the counter. "It was ridiculous, I thought maybe Emmett had drawn dicks on the paper or something, but then I realized I'd probably have seen it before I handed it to her."

"That's weird," he said, flipping his lab book open. "She seemed pretty cool."

"She's fucking crazy," I reasoned, opening mine as well to where we'd left off the week before. He snorted and shook his head. "From what I did see, though, you and her friend—Angela, was it?—seemed to hit it off pretty well." I snickered as he lowered his head and nodded, staring incredibly hard at his book like it was the most interesting fucking thing he'd ever seen and refusing to make eye contact with me.

"Yeah, she was pretty cool," he mumbled.

"Are you ladies finished? If so, I'd love to start the class discussion," I heard from behind me.

"What the hell? That's the second time we've been told that," I grunted, turning my body to the left slightly and looking up at Adrian. "And the last time it was in the Physics class. You're lucky you're so—"

"I'm lucky I'm so what?" she cut me a off with a sly grin.

"You know what," I said, licking my lower lip and wiggling my eyebrows. She laughed and threw her head back.

"You keep that up, Mr. Cullen, and see what happens," she said as she tugged gently on the hair at the nape of my neck and let her fingers subtly, yet enough for me to feel it was done on purpose, run down the back of my neck. I shivered lightly and exhaled slowly through my mouth.

"I'm counting on it," I said, raising and lowering my eyebrows once, then turning forward in my seat. She laughed and walked away, and I watched the natural sway of her hips as she rounded the corner and went back to the front of the room.

Hot damn. She didn't even have to try to be sexy; she just _was_.

I'd need to find out who her mother was as soon as possible, get down on my knees and thank her repeatedly for procreating.

~º~º~º~

We'd spent most of the class time going through the lab—it was on measurements of physical quantities and estimates of their uncertainties—rules as a group, then completing it with our lab partners. Adrian and I had flirted more than necessary during the lab and Ben had laughed at the exchange, but deep down, I knew the bastard was jealous. Hell, I knew every guy in the class was jealous. I wasn't blind; I saw the way they all looked at her—then their gaze fell on me and looked like they wanted to kill me—but she never flirted with them at all, much less anywhere near the way she flirted with me.

Okay, so maybe I was just a _tad_ bit arrogant, but only when it came to her. I couldn't help it! She gave me every imaginable reason to be smug about our more-than-friendly pleasantry.

It was nearing the end of the scheduled time, sadly, and there were still a few people working on their labs, but most of us were finished, so we mostly just chilled out and talked until we were dismissed. I turned my head to the left and looked at the clock, closed my eyes and groaned. I folded my arms on top of the counter and laid my head on top of them, shaking it back and forth.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked. I turned my head to the left to look at him, still resting it on my arms, and cringed.

"Well, for one, we only have five minutes left of this class, and then it's sayonara to that little vixen for a week," I said, sitting up straight and nodding my head towards the front of the room. "Mainly, though, it's because I have my tutoring session after this. At least I hope," I sighed, running a hand through my hair and hunching over in my seat.

"You'll live," he said, smirking. I rolled my eyes and looked to the front of the room, seeing Adrian sitting hunched over on a stool with her legs crossed, messing with her phone. I grinned to myself and fished my phone out of my pocket, opened up a blank message and started typing.

**_Hey fortune teller, any chance that you've caught a glimpse of me gettin' it on with my lab teacher?_**

I hit send and snickered, staring at the screen and waiting for Alice to reply. I felt a kick to my stool and looked over to see Ben staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Just had to ask Alice a question," I said, waving my phone slightly for emphasis and smirking. He nodded and I felt my phone vibrate, making me grin before even reading it.

**_I really try to block that out, Edward. It's gross. I couldn't tell you, though, since I have no idea what she looks like._**

I laughed and lowered my phone to my lap, looking down as I hit the button to reply.

"What's so funny?"

I jumped in my seat at my sides being pinched slightly and the close proximity of the voice to my ear. I turned all the way around in my seat and leaned my back against the counter, grinning crookedly at Adrian as she backed up and leaned against the wall across from me.

"At least warn a man before you do that," I started, "you scared the crap out of me. I was very invested in that text message, you know."

"A man?" she teased. "You're not even 21."

"I'm close enough. Age ain't nothin' but a number," I joked. "Besides, I don't need to be," I said, rubbing my hands down my chest and stomach. "I got all the man I need right here." I ran a hand down the front of my pants subtly and rested it on top of my crotch.

"We'll see," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. I tilted my head back slightly and chuckled lowly. I heard Ben clear his throat and looked over, seeing him looking around the room in an attempt to mask his discomfort. I grinned and turned back to her, shaking my head.

"Oh!" I pulled my phone up, level with my face and went through the menu. "Let me take a picture of you," I said to her as the camera opened on the screen.

"What? Why?"

"So I can stare longingly at you even when you're not in front of me," I said with a grin. "Strike a pose. Look sexy, not that it'll take much work," I said with a wink. She laughed and shook her head with a roll of her eyes.

"Fine, but not yet. Wait until the end of class."

"I I believe class is over, Miss Brunner-Brown," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Save the dirty talk for later, Cullen," she said with a smirk. "All right," she said loudly, clapping her hands, "all of you can get out. Go, have a good week." She bounced up on the tip of her toes and made a sweeping motion towards the door with her arms. Stools scraped across the carpet in a low, muffled sound as everybody rushed to the door and out in a single line. Everybody except me, of course.

Oh yeah, and Ben. I'd forgotten about him.

"Strike a pose," I said, turning my phone at a 90 degree angle and bringing it in front of my face. She turned slightly to the side, placed one hand on her jutted-out hip and the other in her hair, scrunching it up, and turned her gaze to the ceiling with her lips twisted to the side of her mouth. I stood up so that I could get a better angle and shot of her face and body, pushed the button on my phone and took the picture of her.

"Perfect," I said, making sure it saved as I looked at her and stuffed the phone back in my pocket.

"I try," she responded with a grin.

"I'd offer to let you take one of me, but I'm pretty sure you lurk my Myspace page and steal pictures from there," I joked as I sat back down. "Hell, you probably have an enlarged picture of my face as your desktop background."

"You caught me," she said, snapping her fingers. "I thought I was being so sly."

"Nothing gets past me. I have built in radar," I said, tapping my temple.

I grabbed my bag and stood up, following behind Adrian as she walked slowly in the direction of the door. I looked back to make sure Ben was behind me, and though he still looked slightly uncomfortable, he was following. She rounded to the left when she reached the door, but stopped and turned around, leaning against the side of the lab counter. I grabbed the door handle and leaned against the door, staring at her. Ben stopped too, looked between Adrian and me, then shook his head.

"Bye, Ben," she said. He offered her a slight wave and sighed. "Later, Cullen," she added a few seconds later in a slightly lower voice, bending her head and looking up at me through her eyelashes.

Fuck me, even her saying my name is turning me on.

"I'll be saving all my dirty talk for then," I winked, pushed the door open and walked out.

As soon as I heard the door slam, Ben burst into laughter. I looked behind me in amusement and saw him hunched over and in hysterics, and I stopped walking, turning around to face him.

"What?" I asked, beginning to laugh as well; his laugh was completely infectious.

"You're fucking ridiculous, man," Ben said as he straightened up and tried to catch his breath. "It's the most uncomfortable thing to have to witness first hand, but it's also hilarious, because you're the only one I know who would even have the balls to say shit like that to a _teacher_, young or not!"

"Yes, well, I do pride myself on my cojones," I chuckled. "Where are you going now?"

"Humanities. I have Critical Thinking," he said. We cringed simultaneously and I exhaled heavily.

"That class fucking sucks. Good luck with that," I said. He grunted in response and scratched his head. "I gotta get to tutoring," I said with a sigh.

"Good luck with that," he retorted sarcastically.

"Funny," I said in a monotonous tone. "I'm gonna cut through here, though," I said, nodding my head towards Thornton Hall, "then cut through the Science building, so I'll talk to you later."

He nodded in agreement then waved as I turned around and made my way up the steps and through the doors of Thornton Hall. I maneuvered through a few hallways until I got to the front of the building, pushed open the doors and walked down the three flights of stairs, turning to the left as I reached the bottom.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the menu, opened up my picture folder and stared at the picture I'd just taken of Adrian minutes before. I smiled and shook my head; even her mock attempt at a sexy pose was sexy. I cleared the screen and went to my inbox, hit the reply button to one of Alice's messages, attached the picture and sent it. A few minutes later my phone started vibrating, but as I looked at the screen, I saw it was an incoming call instead of a text message. I hit the answer button and put the phone up to my ear, grinning.

"How do you know I'm not in class right now?"

"I know your schedule," she replied. "Besides, if you were in class you wouldn't have answered."

"That is true, my friend," I agreed, sticking a hand in my pocket. "So, what's the reason fo—"

"Well if you'd shut up, I could get on with it," she snapped.

_Note to self: find something to remind you of why she's your best friend._

"The abuse," I muttered. "Go on, then."

"That was the lab teacher?" she prodded.

"Yup."

"She's cute."

"Very," I agreed.

"And young, at least."

"Uh huh."

"Why is she posing in a picture for you?"

"Because I told her to," I said with a shrug.

"And?"

"And nothing!" I exclaimed. "I told her I wanted to take her picture, so I took her picture. End of story."

"Uh huh," she said, sounding unconvinced. "What about that 'I'm not into anybody right now' bullshit? I knew you were lying!"

"That was before I went to lab and was reminded of how into her I am," I said, pursing my lips together to hold back my laughter.

"Well, you're an idiot," she half-yelled. I winced and pulled the phone away from my ear slightly. "I'd say I'd keep a lookout for you, but I've unfortunately caught a glimpse of your sexcapades in the past, and I refuse to subject myself to that ever again. Sorry." I snorted out a laugh and shook my head as I neared the Science building.

"Please, don't apologize. That's slightly awkward, to think of you..._seeing_ me while...doing..." I trailed off, shuddering slightly.

"Okay!" she shrieked. "Okay, I don't need to talk about it anymore."

"You brought it up!" I defended, opening the door to the back entrance of the building and walking inside.

"And I'm ending it! I just wanted to tell you that I haven't seen anything involving her. It's pointless to even try to start anything with her, anyway," she said knowingly.

"Why is that?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, as I neared the exit of the front of the building.

"Because, she's not your soul mate. She wasn't the one in my dream."

"Alice, it was a _dream_."

"Yes, but it was _real,_" she insisted. "I can't explain it to you in a way you'll really understand, but when I'm sleeping, I know the difference between regular dreams, and the dreams that are precognitions, and that _wasn't_ a regular dream, dammit! Have I ever been wrong about a vision before?"

"Yes," I responded with a definitive nod, pushing open the doors and walking out and to the left to walk alongside the building. She gasped and I switched the phone to my other ear, waiting for her to deny it.

"Liar! When was this alleged error?"

"5th grade," I started, and was immediately met with a loud "Oh, _god_," on the other line. "YOU SAID," I continued loudly to speak over her string of insults, "you said that I was going to win the goldfish in the jellybean counting contest, and I went and bought a fish bowl, and rocks, and the little scuba diver with the sunken treasure chest decoration and everything, and who won?" Alice had finally stopped yelling and was, for once, completely silent. "Who won, Alice?"

"James," she mumbled.

"What was that?" I pressed.

"James!" she yelled. "James won, you asshat."

"Precisely."

"Okay, that was once, Edward. _Once_. And that fish ended up _dying_ within an hour, if I recall."

"Just the same," I reasoned, "that should have been _my_ dead goldfish, and you were wrong."

"I hate you."

"No you don't," I responded happily.

"I know," she sighed.

"Why aren't you in class?" I asked, rounding the corner of the building to the left, towards HSS.

"I'm about to be. Don't you worry your pretty little head of hair off about me." I rolled my eyes and ran my hand back and forth over my hair instinctively.

"Okay, well I'm almost to the building I need to be in and I'm probably going to lose you in there, so I'll talk to you later," I said, walking up the elevated concrete for what felt like the 20th time that week towards the side entrance.

"Mmmhm. Tell Emmett to call mom so she'll stop bugging me. Love you."

"Okay," I said, laughing, "I love you, too. Bye." I pulled the phone away from my ear, pressed the end button and shoved it in my pocket before grabbing the door handle, yanking it open and walking inside HSS. I headed towards the stairs, opting to skip the elevator for some reason, and started up them two at a time. That got old real quick, so the second flight of stairs were taken one step at a time.

4 flights later and slightly out of breath, I was walking down the hallway of the 3rdfloor, and silently decided that I probably needed to exercise a little more. I weaved my way in and out of the throngs of people walking through the halls, and after about five minutes, made it to my destination with a few minutes left to spare before my session was scheduled to start. Angela was sitting behind the sign-in desk playing solitaire. Again. I cleared my throat to make my presence known, hoping not to have a replay of yesterday when I caught her off guard by simply talking, and she looked over before smiling at me.

"Hey," she said, as I walked towards the desk to sign in.

"Hey," I replied, smiling back at her. "Am I actually going to get a session today?" I joked. A brief look of unease flickered across her face, but was gone just as quickly as it appeared.

"Well, she's here," she said, turning back to the computer. I raised an eyebrow at her odd response, but shrugged it off, hunched over and signed my name on the clipboard, then stood up straight. She turned her face towards me and propped her elbow on the desk. "Go on ahead in there," she said, pointing towards the open door across the hall. "Do you have your paper with the tutor's name on it?"

I shrugged off a strap and brought my backpack around to my front, unzipped the front pocket, and pulled out the folded up piece of paper she'd given me the day before.

"Yup."

"Okay, well go on in, then." I nodded and turned around, walked through the doorway and into the hall. "Hey, Edward?" she called, and I stopped and turned back around to look at her. "Just...you don't want to have to take the class again. Remember that, okay?" I scrunched up my face in confusion, but nodded. I turned around slowly, looked at her sideways, then shook my head and walked towards the tutoring room. I unfolded my paper and, confident that if I kept walking, I wouldn't run straight into the door frame, I looked down at the paper, seeing **Isabella Swan**highlighted.

I looked up when I saw chair legs, figuring I was in the room, then looked around. There weren't many people in the room, but the people that _were_ there were occupied, meaning they obviously weren't my tutor, or male, which I hoped_definitely_ meant they weren't my tutor. I didn't have a problem with gay people, but I knew I'd spend the entire session pondering why, if they were so adamant about becoming the opposite sex, they would use a female name, but still keep a male image. Unless they were actually an extremely man-like lesbian. I turned my gaze to the left, hoping it really wouldn't be necessary for me to ask Angela if she could_show_ me who Isabella Swan was, when my gaze fell upon that fucking cu—girl, Bella.

Bella.

Short for...Isabella.

Oh, _fuck_.me.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..._

I looked down to the name tag sitting on the table and stepped forward hesitantly, narrowing my eyes and praying to all that was holy that her last name wouldn't be—

Yup. Bella _Swan_.

I looked at the paper briefly, hoping by some cosmic miracle that I'd read the name completely wrong, but I wasn't quite that lucky. I looked up at her again, and she looked slightly...apologetic, but fuck that! I looked briefly back down at her name tag, just to make sure one last time, and promptly turned my ass right back around and walked out the door and back to Angela.

"Edward, wait, let me—" she said from behind me as I walked into the sign-in room.

"No," I said, turning to face her and shaking my head before turning to Angela. "No, absolutely not. Change this, _please_."

"I can't," she said sheepishly

"What do you mean you can't? My schedule was changed before! Change it again!" I yelled, throwing my hands in the air.

"There's only one other math tutor, and he doesn't have any more openings," she said with a cringe. I immediately felt bad for losing my temper with her, because it wasn't her fault that her friend was such a fucking bitch.

Yeah, that's right. I said it.

"There has to be_ something_ you can do!" I pleaded, leaning over and gripping the desk like my life depended on it.

"I'm sorry, Edward, there really isn't. Besides, she's the best math tutor we have. She's your best bet, really," she said in an obvious attempt to convince me. I thought about pushing it more, but I knew I'd just get angry all over again, and I didn't feel like doing that. I looked between Angela and _her_ a few times with a pathetic expression on my face, I was sure, and, succumbing to defeat, I stood up and put on a poker face.

"Fine," I said curtly, clenching my jaw and staring at Bella, trying my best not to fucking murder her with a glare. "I guess I'll just have to endure it." I turned around and walked out and back into the tutoring room as fast as I could, went straight over to the desk she had previously been sitting at and plopped down, roughly unzipping my backpack, and pulled my binder and book out before throwing it on the ground. I could feel an oncoming headache from my frowning and tried my best to relax my face, but to no avail.

I sighed heavily. It seemed like it'd been an ongoing thing from the moment I'd woken up—I'd be in a great mood, then one stupid, but drastic, fucking thing happened and totally shot my joy to shit. I tensed up and clenched my jaw—I could fucking _feel_ her nearing the door, like some weird fucking aftershock tingling all over my body and that in itself annoyed the fuck out of me because it was related to _her_. Sure enough, within a few seconds she waltzed through the door and right over to the table. I tried to avoid looking at her, and it seemed she was doing the same, because anytime I looked at her she wasn't looking at me.

Good.

She opened a binder and started rummaging through papers.

"Who's your teacher?"

"Hoag," I replied, folding my arms across my chest and looking straight ahead, trying to ignore her in my peripheral line of vision.

"Okay. I've tutored his students previously, and I have my own method of teaching them, if you will. I'll bring my old class notes to every session, because they've seemed to help in the past, but the text book helps a lot, even though for some reason your teacher has a severe aversion to it."

Her voice was perfectly even, which pissed me off to no fucking end because I knew that tone, and fucking well. It was a tone I'd perfected, and I knew that it was only used when you were fuming. She had no fucking reason to be pissed off at me;_she'd _been the one that started the whole fucking thing in the first place!

My god, I hadn't even known her for 24 hours—hell, I hadn't even known the woman's _full name_ for 10 minutes, yet she'd already gotten under my skin so deeply that it literally made me want to claw at myself and rip the flesh off my arms just to get her _out_.

"I'd advise you to read each section you work on a few times, and if my notes are of any help I'd be glad to make copies for you to use at home. I try to go through each section as thoroughly as possible in the short amount of time we have, and I like to start off the sessions by going over any homework you may have done, or need to do, since I'm aware it's due the first class of each week. Of course, each student is different, and whatever you feel you need focus on, I'll put emphasis on. Does that sound acceptable?"

I looked at her briefly, then nodded my head.

Damn her.

Even though the notion that I'd have to spend two hours a week with her for the entire semester made me want to bash my head into a wall, I could tell by how put together she was and her confidence that if nothing else, she would do her job, and probably do it well. I was a tiny bit relieved at the realization that I had a good chance of finally fucking passing that dreadful class, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't just a front.

"Have any of the people you've tutored that have had his class failed?"

She froze and looked at me, slightly surprised, then smoothed out her expression.

"Nobody that's actually put in an effort to learn the material," she said, shrugging up one of her shoulders. I nodded; that was all the confirmation I needed. I opened up my book to the section he'd lectured on in class yesterday. I'd attempted to start the homework when I couldn't sleep last night, but I gave up when I realized I had no idea what the fuck I was doing.

"I don't understand most of what's been done before chapter three," I admitted, scratching the back of my head as I stared at the book. "I don't understand what's been done so far in this chapter, either."

"What don't you understand?"

I looked up at her blankly and dropped my hand loudly onto the table.

"I just told you, basically none of it."

"I'm not deaf," she snapped. "I heard what you said."

"Then what the hell was the point of asking? Goddamn," I grumbled, running my hands down my face and pressing my fingers into my eyes.

"You said _most_ of it, which indicates you understood _some_ of it. Maybe you should get English tutoring as well, since apparently you don't understand sentence structure," she jibed. I rolled my eyes and shook my head; I wasn't even going to dignify that with a response.

"I don't understand any of the frequency shit, which includes the charts and graphs and all that good stuff, so all of chapter two. I don't understand any of the formulas, or their meanings, and I don't understand standard deviations and their little symbols. I'm basically only proficient in algebra, so take that and run with it, lady," I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest. She narrowed her eyes at me slightly before turning her back to me and uncapping a dry erase marker.

"Alright, then. We'll start with frequency."

And that was what the tutoring session consisted of. Thankfully, the hour passed by quickly—as quickly as time can pass, at least, when you're being taught a subject you despise _by_ someone you despise—and I'd actually caught on to the mechanics of frequency distribution charts. I'd signed a few time sheets for her when the clock hit 4 PM, while shoving all of my shit into my backpack. I mumbled a thank you to her and sped out of the room, zipping up my backpack as I walked to the sign-in room.

"How'd it go?" Angela asked skeptically.

"We're both alive, so I'd say that in itself means it went phenomenally well," I replied, bending over to sign out. She chuckled and I straightened up, sighing heavily.

"She really is a good person," she said softly. "You should give her a chance."

"I'm here, and I'm going to keep on being here," I said with a shrug. "That's about as much of a chance as she's going to get with me."

"I think you're judging her prematurely, Edward," she said with a frown.

"Oh, not you too," I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut, leaning my head back and pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger. "Everybody's been telling me that, but they seem to be overlooking the fact that _she_ started it! All I did was _pick up_ a fucking _package_, and she went all Girl, Interrupted on me!" Angela scoffed at the comparison and shook her head.

"It was just a misunderstanding."

"Well, whatever, I don't—dude, why the hell is everybody so concerned about us getting along? It's not like I'm gonna fucking marry her; I don't _have_ to like her, and she doesn't have to like me. _I don't care_. I just want to pass a fucking math class, is that so much to ask?" I ran my hands through my hair roughly and tugged on it, trying to relieve the pressure.

"Okay, okay, fine. Do what you will," she said with a dismissive wave.

"_Thank_ you," I groaned before turning around and walking towards the door. "Hey," I started, stopping and turning to look at her as she looked up at me with her eyebrows raised. "You're single, right?"

"That's kind of presumptuous, don't you think?" I heard from behind me in a mocking tone.

"Nope," I said, emphasizing the 'p' with a pop. "I'm going based off of what I heard last night, just like I'm basing my assumptions that you haven't gotten laid in eons off of your heinous excuse of a personality."

"I'm going to fucking kill y—"

"Go home, Bella!" Angela said sternly, pointing to the left. She hesitated for a minute, grunted, then stomped off, leaving me with a very satisfied and smug grin on my face.

"Wipe that smirk off your face before I smack it off. Both of you are being ridiculous," she scolded. The grin fell from my face immediately, and I stared at her, wide-eyed, in amazement. She didn't look very fierce, but fuck me, she was feisty as hell, and kind of intimidating.

I wasn't sure if Ben was going to love me or want to kill me after I was done.

"Are you single?" I asked again.

"Yes, I am," she said, looking slightly surprised. "Why?"

I grinned, grabbed a piece of scrap paper that was laying on the desk and a pen, scribbled down his phone number and slid it in front of her.

"How opposed are you to making the first move?"

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**End Notes: **Thanks for reading! Review, pleeeease? And DON'T bitch at me about Adrian. She's necessary for a reason you'll all love in the end. ;)


	6. Chapter 6: Vagina's & 2Pac

**Chapter Notes: **Okay, so I haven't actually finished Chapter 7 yet. That might be an understatement; I'm not even _halfway _finished with Chapter 7. However, it's been a week since I posted Chapter 5, and this chapter isn't all that long in comparison to the last few, so I figured I'd go ahead and post it. I don't know when Chapter 7 will be done, but I _do _know it will be fairly long, and I'm pretty sure you guys will LOVE what's going to take place. ;) Thanks to everybody who reads the story, and everybody who takes the time to review! I love you guys! Enjoy. :)

**Disclaimer**: What I own: The ability to cook up a _mean_ Chicken & Broccoli Fettucini from scratch.  
What I don't own: Any of the Twilight characters.

* * *

Chapter Song: It's A Disaster – OK GO

* * *

--BPOV--

_Fucking Edward Cullen!_

I shrieked internally and stomped down the stairs with a scowl on my face. A very alarming scowl, judging by the look on every person's face as I went past them, but I couldn't have cared less at that moment. I was pissed the fuck off, and fully planning on hunting down Rosalie to plot his demise.

His slow, agonizingly painful demise.

The tutoring session hadn't been _completely _torturous.I'd actually begun to have hope during the session that we could maintain some sort of civility; we'd been doing fairly well, considering what our current "relationship" had consisted of. He truly seemed to want help, I was good at my job, and our harsh banter was nearly non-existent.

That was, of course, until the session was over.

I'd gathered my things together slowly after watching him practically run out of the room, slightly stunned, though I knew I probably shouldn't have been. If we were going to have any less hostility towards each other at any time, it would only be during tutoring. I'd walked out the door and into the hall towards the sign in room when I saw him standing inside, asking Angela if she was single. I could picture that cocky grin across his flawless face, his emerald green eyes shimmering and his glorious bronze sex hair perfectly disheveled as he inquired about her status, and it pissed me off instantaneously. I couldn't understand why I'd gotten so enraged, which had only fueled my anger up another ten notches.

"That's kind of presumptuous, don't you think?" I'd drawled, mocking his words from the previous night before I had a chance to think about what I was doing.

"Nope," he said, not missing a beat. "I'm going based off of what I heard last night, just like I'm basing my assumptions that you haven't gotten laid in eons off of your heinous excuse of a personality."

I was seeing red by that point. I'd started to threaten his life—and I'd been completely serious—before Angela yelled at me to go home. I'd stared at her, baffled, but after seeing her stern face I huffed, turned and walked down the hallway, clutching my book and binder to my chest and silently fuming like a child scorned by a mother.

How dare he! He didn't know anything about me, other than the fact that I was obviously much better at math than he was. That did _not_, however, warrant an assumption _or_ the right to say that I hadn't gotten "laid in eons," as he so arrogantly put it.

Even if it was true.

I came to the end of the staircase and walked straight forward, shoving the glass doors open with a little more force than necessary. I turned to the right and started downhill, deciding to cut through the school—I was _going_ to find Rose. A strong breeze blew against me, whipping my hair around and into my face, and despite the fact that it stung, I smiled. The chill that ran through me was absolutely divine, and I inhaled, closed my eyes and let my body relax.

That relaxation was short-lived as I remembered I hadn't clocked out. My eyes flew open and I hissed, digging hastily around each pocket until I found my phone. I scrolled through my contacts until I came to the direct line for the sign in desk—Angela never checked her cell phone when she was at work, for some reason, so it was pointless to call it—then pushed send. It rang four times before Angela answered.

"HSS, Math Tutoring, this is Angela," she greeted.

"It's Bella. I didn't get a chance to sign out before I was kicked out of the building." I sniffed, disdain apparent in my voice.

"Okay, Miss Melodramatic," she said, and I could imagine her rolling her eyes, "what's your ID number?"

"903475955," I replied shortly. I heard her manually entering it into the system.

"Okay, you're good," she said.

"Thank you. Sorry I interrupted his attempt to woo you into a date," I said sarcastically. "Hope I didn't ruin it for you." I abruptly hit the end button and shoved the phone back into my pocket.

_What the hell was _that _about?_

I furrowed my eyebrows and sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair and biting the inside of my cheek. I truly didn't know what the hell my problem was; why anything to do with that bastard turned me into a raging fucking lunatic, but I _did _know that I hated it.

_Maybe I should make a pit stop at the Psych building._ I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head slightly in contemplation. _Since, apparently, I'm Bipolar._ I scoffed and rolled my eyes. My pocket started vibrating and I grimaced, figuring that it was probably Angela calling in an attempt to put me in my place, as usual. My eyebrows rose in surprise, however, as I pulled my phone out and saw it wasn't Angela calling, followed by a huge grin breaking out across my face.

"Jake!" I exclaimed, cradling the phone between my right shoulder and ear as I readjusted my book and binder to my left hand, pressing it against my side. I grabbed my phone with my right hand and held it, straightening my neck and stretching it side to side.

"Hey, babycakes, what's shackalackin?"

I scoffed. "You're Quileute, Jake, not a wankster. Your native language is not ebonics."

"Yes, but I do a refresher course every so often, just for you. I know how much you love it," he replied cheekily. I grinned and rolled my eyes.

Jacob Black was my absolute best friend. I'd met him when I used to visit my dad in Forks during the summer. His best friend Billy was Jacob's dad, and they lived on a Quileute Reservation in La Push, so when my dad would go over for dinner, to fish, or whatever reason he could find to make the trip at any particular time, I'd ride with him. Jake had two older sisters, Rachel and Rebecca, who were about my age, but I'd always felt more of a draw to him despite our two year age difference. Apparently he'd felt the same, because we became as inseparable as our fathers. When I was back in Phoenix, he'd been allowed to visit a few times. In between visits, though, we'd talked on the phone, or online, or through text—when we were old enough to have our own phones—all the time.

"Oh, you. I miss you," I said with a frown.

"I feel so loved," he teased in a quavering voice, as if he were going to cry.

"Har _har._"

"I miss you too, Bells. When are you coming up?" he demanded.

"I was actually thinking maybe I'd spend Spring Break up there if it's all right with Charlie, and airfare isn't too bad," I replied. "I'll have to start looking when I get back home."

"Of course it'll be all right with him. He misses you too, you know. You don't call him enough, and he's always asking me how you are, though lately I haven't been able to tell him much," he said, emphasizing the last sentence.

"I know," I said feebly. "I've just been so busy. I've barely even called my mom!"

"Excuses."

"Valid ones, at least," I defended.

"Sure, sure," he said dismissively. "Where are you?"

"School. I just finished a tutoring session with the devil incarnate," I grunted, though I didn't tense up at the mention of him—talking to Jake always made me feel content, no matter what was wrong.

"Sounds like a blast," he said blandly. "Shame I couldn't be there."

"Uh huh. So, to what do I owe this great pleasure?"

"Great pleasure? You haven't _experienced_ great pleasure until you and I are rockin' the bed allllll niiii—"

"Jake!" I screeched.

"Okay, okay," he said, laughing. "Chill out. I was kidding."

"Mmhm."

"All right, half-kidding, but that's not the point!"

"Then what is?"

"Shh! I'm trying to _tell_ you," he said, feigning exasperation. I smirked and shook my head. "I was calling to tell you that I was considering making a trip down there to see you, _but_ since you might be coming up for Spring Break, I guess—"

"Yes!" I shouted, stopping my strides abruptly with a huge, shit-eating grin on my face. "Yes, yes, yes! Jake, you _have_ to come. We'll have so much fun!" I gushed. "There's so much to show you, you'll love it!"

"Hold your horses, there. I only said _considering_," he teased with a chuckle.

"Jaaaaake," I whined with a pout as I started to walk forward again. "Come on, please?"

"Well..."

"_Please?_" I begged.

"Okay, you've convinced me," he said. I jumped slightly and squealed happily, biting my lip and swaying side to side.

"When?"

"I'm not sure. When would be good?"

"I don't know," I replied. "Maybe, if the deals are good when I plan to go up there, we can get you one for like, the week before. Then we could just fly back together."

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed.

"Okay. I'll call you when I get home and start looking, then."

"I'll be here. I love you, Bells," he said tenderly.

"I love you, too, Jake," I said with a smile. I hit the end button and sighed, a small smile still playing on my lips. I looked at the clock on my phone: 4:20 PM; just in time. I pulled up a blank text and started typing one-handed, shivering slightly as another breeze hit me.

_**Café Rosso in 10? My treat.**_

I scrolled through my list of contacts, selected Rosalie's name, and hit send. Within a minute, I got a reply.

_**You bet your ass it is. I want my usual. See you then. xx**_

I snorted and cleared the screen, locked the keypad and tucked the phone into my pocket. I started along the curved concrete path, next to the odd "art" statue that was, allegedly, a football player. It resembled nothing of the sort, but that's what it was labeled as. I continued walking, weaving around people as the wide path narrowed between the Health Center and Burk Hall. I walked up the uneven ground—everything in the city was elevated to some extent—until the path came to a T intersection in front of SSB. I turned to the left and saw the café 20 feet from me with a surprisingly small line. It seemed that no matter what time of day or evening I came, it always had a long line, so the nearly complete lack of a line was an amazing treat. I walked forward, standing behind a tall, lanky boy who stood out like a sore thumb. He had on brown, pointed-toed—elf-like—shoes, tight, spandex-looking light brown pants, and a puffy black shirt with an elastic waist that was covered in gold sequins.

He looked like he was wearing Peter Pan's get-up, smeared with dog shit.

I raised my eyebrows and looked around. _Not gonna judge._

He stepped up to the counter as the lady behind the register to the right waved me towards her. I walked over and set my book and binder on the counter.

"Hi, can I get a medium double mocha latte, and a café mocha, medium as well?"

"Whipped cream?" she asked as she rang up the drinks on the register.

"Yes, please. On both."

"$8.56," she said, and I reached into my back pocket, retrieving a $10 bill and handing it over. She gave me my change and a receipt with my order number on it, and I picked up my things and walked to the other end of the counter to wait for the drinks. I looked over and saw that the person who had occupied my favorite table was getting up to leave, so I hurried over to it, sitting down and putting my things on the table before anybody else could claim it. There wasn't really any one particular reason it was my favorite, besides the obvious. It was farther back than the ones up front, enough to where you were somewhat secluded, but not so far away that you couldn't be seen if someone was looking for you. It had more shade and was close to the plants that grew on the side, and with the wind combined with fresh shrubbery, it smelled amazing.

I closed my eyes and inhaled, a small smile on my face.

_God, I love this place._

I heard my number called and opened my eyes, stood up and walked over to the counter to grab the drinks. I thanked the barista and walked around the corner to the right, where the condiments stand was. I took the lid off of Rosalie's drink and grabbed the cinnamon, powdered chocolate, and a wooden stirrer. I shook the powdered cocoa five times on top of the whipped cream, stuck the mixer through it in a zig-zagged, then up and down motion a few times, then shook the cinnamon on top three times, repeated the motion with the stirrer, and covered it back up.

Rosalie was ridiculous with her "usual." It had to be done a specific way, in a specific order, or god help you. I could never figure out how the hell it was, but somehow, if you fixed her drink for her in any order other than what she wanted, she would know, and she'd refuse to drink it. No exaggerations—I'd personally witnessed one of her shit fits.

I grabbed both of our drinks and made my way back to the table, sat down with my back turned towards the buildings, and placed her drink opposite of me. Not even a full minute later, she approached the table. She sat down across from me wordlessly, throwing her canvas bag on the empty chair to her right, and picked up the cup, taking a long drink from it. She closed her eyes as she swallowed, paused to analyze the taste, then smiled, opening her eyes.

"Good girl," she said, patting my hand that was wrapped around my cup before leaning against the back of the chair and crossing her legs.

"You're welcome, you ungrateful hag," I said, taking a gulp of my mocha.

"Suck it," she replied, taking another sip from her cup.

"Whip it out, and I'll consider it," I retorted. She laughed loudly, throwing her head back. She was wearing tight, dark wash jeans, a long-sleeve fitted grey and heather grey striped shirt, and grey converse. Her eyelids donned a light, earthy brown eyeshadow, with slightly darker eyeliner that accentuated her icy blue eyes, and her blond hair was straightened to perfection. I groaned inwardly. She was much too beautiful for her own good.

"Ugh," she complained, "school is kicking my ass. I talked with my counselor today, and I pretty much realized I'm going to be in school for the rest of my life."

"That's what you get for being pre-med," I said with a grin, taking another sip of my rapidly cooling drink.

"I don't care," she snapped. "I'm aiming to look at vagina's all day, what the hell do I need a Computer Programming class for?"

I looked behind me and saw numerous bypassers staring at our table from Rosalie's outburst. I turned back around and cowered in my seat.

"Rosalie, please," I muttered in a low voice.

"Oh, don't you go acting coy all of a sudden," she said, rolling her eyes. "So, what's going on?"

"Nothing," I replied, shaking my head side to side slowly.

"What'd you do today?"

"Tutoring session," I grunted. She raised her eyebrows and smirked slightly, covering it as she wrapped both hands around her cup and brought it to her lips.

"Oh, yeah? With who?"

I had a sudden craving for a cookie.

_Avoidance, avoidance, avoidance. Change the subject!_

"I want a cookie."

"What?"

"With M&M's. Red and blue ones. Maybe orange, I don't know yet."

"_What? _What the hell are you talking about?"

"Huh? Nothing," I replied quickly, darting my eyes side to side and taking a drink of my coffee. "It was fine. Great. Superb."

She set her coffee down and folded her hands across her stomach, eyeing me carefully.

_Crap_.

I cleared my throat and looked up and around, drumming my fingers on my thighs.

"Bella," she started, "what are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything," I mumbled.

"Did you see Edward today?" I looked up at her and huffed, setting my cup down. "_Bella—_"

"Yes, okay? Yes! Jeez," I shouted in exasperation. "What the hell does it matter, anyway?"

"You tell me. Why do you hate him so much? And _don't_," she said, pointing her finger at me as I opened my mouth to reply, "give me that half-ass excuse of 'he ditched the tutoring session,' because that's a load of shit and you know it." I closed my mouth and furrowed my eyebrows slightly, staring at the table. Why _did _I hate him so much? I'd dealt with bigger assholes than him in my lifetime, and I never, _ever_ got as riled up as quickly as I had with Edward.

_24 hours. That's talent._

"He just gets under my skin so bad. I don't understand it," I admitted.

"Right," she started, narrowing her eyes slightly and sounding completely unconvinced. "Well, he isn't my favorite person in the world, but he's not _that_ bad."

"So I keep being told. And yet," I said, tilting my head slightly up and to the right, "it still doesn't erase the fact that threatened to shove his _dick_ in my mouth." She pursed her lips and ducked her head so that her cup was covering her face, though I could see her shoulders shaking from laughter. A few seconds later she cleared her throat and sniffed, shaking her hair out of her eyes as a faint hint of a smile played on her lips.

"Maybe that's his preferred method of seduction." I scoffed, rolled my eyes and finished off my drink

"Oh, but Rose, he doesn't _do_ Bipolar, remember?"

~º~º~

I sat cross-legged on my bed, my back against the wall, with my laptop sitting on my legs and my cell phone cradled between my left ear and shoulder. I looked at the time; 5:15. I'd assumed he would be home by now. On the fifth ring, he finally answered.

"Hello?" he said, sounding slightly out of breath.

"Hey, dad."

"Bella?"

_Unless you have another child I'm unaware of..._

"Yes, it's me," I replied.

"Hey!" he shouted happily, and I could imagine him grinning, his eyes crinkling in the most endearing way. The mental image brought a huge smile to my face immediately. "How are you? How are things going over there?"

"I'm good. Everything is pretty good, just real busy. I'm sorry I haven't called sooner," I said, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty after hearing how happy he was to hear from me.

"Don't worry about it." I could see him leaning against the wall, waving a hand in the air dismissively. "I'm just...glad you think to call me," he said, clearing his throat. He was never real good with expressing emotions.

_Dig the knife a little deeper, dad._

"Of course I do," I said softly. "How are things with you? Has good ol' Forks gotten any good crimes lately?" I joked.

"Other than unimpressive vandalizing, no," he chuckled. I grinned and shook my head.

"Typical. So, there was actually a specific reason I called."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well, I was looking around online and saw that I could get a pretty good deal for airfare. I was thinking I could come up for Spring Break, if that's okay with you."

Silence.

I chewed on the inside of my bottom lip. "Dad?"

"I'm here," he said. "Don't you, uh...wouldn't you rather go home? I mean, you went home last year and all..." he trailed off. I frowned—not exactly the response I'd expected or hoped for.

_Well shit. It's a good thing I didn't already buy my ticket._

"Yeah, I just thought—never mind, it's fine. It was just an idea, I understand if you'd rather not have me come—"

"No!" he exclaimed, cutting me off. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at his outburst. "No, that's not it at all, you just caught me by surprise, there. It's just—well, I know you don't really like it here."

"I don't mind it much," I lied, grimacing slightly. Forks was the most boring place I'd ever been.

"Bella," he said in a tone that told me he knew I was lying.

"Okay, so it's not my favorite place, but I want to spend time with you. Just accept it," I teased.

"Well, if you're sure..."

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have ever mentioned it. Is it safe to assume I can buy my ticket, then?"

"No. I'll buy it, Bells."

"I don't think so. My idea, my expense."

"Bella!" he scorned.

"Don't you dare," I warned. He huffed and mumbled "stubborn, just like your mother."

"I'd like to think I'm a tad bit more stubborn than that, but essentially, yes," I replied cheekily.

"Real cute."

"I try. So I'll let you know all the details after the flights are booked, then."

"Flights?"

"Oh! Yeah, Jake is coming to visit the week before Spring Break, so we're going to fly back together."

"Oh, okay," he said. "Where's he staying?"

"Here," I said, "of course."

"With you? In your apartment?" he asked, taking on a concerned, fatherly tone.

"Dad, come on. It's Jake."

"He's still a member of the male species," he muttered.

"_Dad_."

"Okay, okay, you're right. He'll behave," he said with a sigh. "He'd better."

"He will," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well, I've got to get going. I was on my way out the door when you called. Goin' to Billy's for dinner."

"Okay, dad. I'll talk to you soon. And don't hassle Jake with your police mumbo jumbo!"

"I _won't_," he said, though I could tell that was exactly what he was planning to do before I'd said anything.

"Okay. Love you, dad."

"Love you too, Bells. Bye." I heard a beep signaling that the call had been disconnected. I smirked and shook my head, bringing the phone down and punching in the phone number before putting it back to my ear and listening to it ring.

_Silly Charlie._

"Hey baby," Jake answered cheekily. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Shove it. Charlie's on his way, and he's probably going to hassle you."

* * *

--EPOV--

"And then she just asked me out! I was completely dumbstruck."

I sat at my computer desk, swiveling side to side in my chair with a smirk on my face as Ben rambled on about Angela calling him and unexpectedly asking him out. Well, unexpectedly for _him_.

"Doesn't surprise me," I replied. "She's...vibrant."

"I didn't know she was so forward, though."

"Well I certainly saw it this afternoon. She threatened to 'smack that smug grin' right off my face," I said, making air quotes with my right hand. Emmett, who was surprisingly here for the night and sitting at his computer desk opposite of me, laughed loudly at that. I grabbed an empty VitaminWater bottle off my desk and chucked it at his head. He turned around and flipped me off. "Right before I gave her your number."

"Really? That's kind of hot. I had no i—wait, you _what?!_" I laughed loudly.

"Give me a break. I saw the two of you ogling each other last night, and—especially after her little outburst today, that was definite motivation—I just decided to help the process along," I said with a shrug. "Shit, I'm wit'cha."

"I ain't mad at'cha."

We both started cracking up at the same time.

"Oh, man. I love that song." My phone beeped twice and I pulled it away from my ear to look at the screen. "Hey, let me call you back. My mom's calling."

"Do ya thing, boy."

"Nah'mean?" We started cracking up again and said our goodbyes, and I clicked the button to switch the call over.

"Hello?" I said, still smiling and laughing lightly.

"Hello, sweetie. What's so funny?"

"Inside joke. I was talking to my friend when you called."

"Oh, well I can call back—"

"No, no, I told him I'd call him back. How are you, mom?"

"I'm okay, how are you?" At that moment, Emmett leaped out of his chair and crossed the short distance to my desk.

"HEY, ESME!" he shouted, attempting to yell into the phone.

"Man, get away from me!" I yelled, shoving his face away as my mom laughed loudly.

"Tell him I said hello," she said.

"No. _ Anyway_," I started, "I'm pretty good, although slightly _deaf_ now that Emmett just shouted in my ear," I said, raising my voice at the end and turning my head towards him. He turned around in his chair and grinned at me before going back to whatever he was doing online. "Why just okay?"

"I just miss you. It's lonely without you here," she said with a sigh. I laughed and shook my head.

"Mom, I've barely been gone a month."

"That doesn't make a difference! You're not a parent, you can't understand," she contended.

"You still have dad," I reasoned.

"It's not the same, now hush." I smiled and cradled the phone between my shoulder and ear, leaned forward and refreshed my Myspace home page. I had a new message and comment; I clicked on the link for the comment first.

**I see you.**

I stared at the screen blankly for a few moments before snorting in laughter. Emmett was fucking ridiculous.

"Edward?" Oops.

"Sorry, mom. Emmett is really stupid."

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

"Sorry," I repeated, grimacing slightly as I hit the _comment back_ button.

"I _said_ that your father has been asked to speak at a convention in Chicago, and I'm going with him."

"Oh, that's...nice," I said, typing my reply to Emmett.

**Stop watching gay porn before I tell Rosalie.**

"Yes, I'm quite excited," she said as I clicked the send button. "I don't remember when your break is, though, so I need you to tell me so I know what date to book your ticket for."

"March 24st through the 31st," I said, clicking the homepage button and the link for the new message. I stared at the screen in confusion. I didn't recognize the display name, and the picture didn't show the person's face. I heard Emmett scoff behind me and I smirked, figuring he'd read my comment, as he started typing.

"Go on the Southwest website and look up prices for me, will you? Your father is hogging the computer, as he has been for the last week," she shouted the last sentence, presumably at my dad, seeing as I heard his muffled reply. "He's been obsessed with some stupid vampire game. I don't understand it."

I laughed and raised my eyebrows. "Vampires? I'd have never guessed." I clicked on the blank subject to open the message and read it.

**I was on your page, trying to figure out which picture to enlarge as my desktop background—you know, because I stalk you like that—and I figured I'd message you.**

**It's later; where's the dirty talk?**

A grin crept on my face slowly. _Is this who I think it is? _I clicked on the picture to take me to the person's page, hoping it wasn't private. The full page loaded and I clicked on the display picture quickly so that I could see the rest of the pictures. Sure enough, it was Adrian.

"Are you looking, Edward?"

"Am I loo—oh, uh, right. Yeah, okay, Southwest."

"I swear, you're just as bad as your father," she said, sighing heavily.

"I _am _his son," I replied. "Wait, Southwest? Don't you mean _North_west?" I pressed the home button and had the alert for a new comment. I smirked and clicked the link.

"No, Northwest doesn't fly to Chicago."

"Chicago? Why—"

"Oh, my god, Edward. I've told you _two times _already. Your father—"

"No, I heard you, but why the hell would I need a plane ticket to Chicago?"

"Well it'd be pointless to fly you out to Seattle, then Chicago. We're planning to leave on the 21st to do some sight seeing, visit old friends, things like that, so we won't be here when you get in."

"Why would I even _go_ to Chicago, mom?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "Because we won't be home. We'll be in Chicago."

"Yes," I said, evenly, "I've gathered as much. I have no desire to go to Chicago, mom. I want to go _home_." It was silent for a beat too long and I chewed on the inside of my cheek, afraid that I'd upset or offended her. My mom was so emotional sometimes.

"But...you can't spend your Spring Break by yourself," she said pitifully.

"Why not? I'm 20 years old, and this is _Forks_ we're talking about, not Compton. I'll be fine."

"Well I won't be!" I rolled my eyes and licked my lips.

"Mom, come on. You and dad...you guys had a life out there before me. We left before I really had a chance to remember anything or any_body_. Chicago holds no sentiment for me, and if I go, I'll just feel awkward and out of place around all your old friends. I'd rather spend my break alone than out of place." She sighed heavily.

"How will you get home?" she asked, and I knew she was giving in.

"You and dad can drive my car to the airport, park it long-term, and I'll drive it home. Then, when I leave, I'll drive it back to the airport, park it, and you guys can drive it when you get in." It was silent for a few minutes, then I heard her cluck her tongue.

"Oh, fine. Do what you want. But you still should book your ticket soon. Do you have enough money?"

"Yup," I said, leaning back in my chair. "I'll look at flights later."

"Okay, then. Well, your father finally got off the computer, and we're going to Port Angeles for dinner, so I have to go."

"Okay, mom. Have a good time. Eat lots of the bread for me," I said with a smile, knowing that they were going to my favorite Italian restuarant.

"Okay," she laughed. "Your father says hello, and that he loves you."

"Tell him hi, and that I love him too." She relayed the message, told me she loved me and I did the same, then we said our goodbyes and hung up.

"I'm touched, Edward. Truly," Emmett said, turning in his seat to face me.

"Eat shit," I muttered. "And call your mom! Alice said she keeps bugging her about you not calling enough. Bastard."

"Yeah, yeah," he grunted, turning back to his computer. I remembered that I hadn't read his comment yet, so I ran my fingers over the trackpad to get the screen saver off, and leaned forward as the comment page came into view.

**Do it. I'll tell Bella that you're hard up for her, and that you had a wet dream about licking her hooha.**

"What the—" I slammed my palms down on the desk and Emmett started snickering. "Emmett," I boomed, whirling around in my chair and jumping up. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

* * *

**Chapter End Notes: **I'm very angry with FF right now! I actually made images for Emmett's comments, and I can't post them on here, so I had to make them plain old bold text. :( I'm pretty positive Twilighted will allow me to post them, so head on over there later and see! They make the comments even funnier, in my opinion. Send me a PM with your e-mail if you'd like the links for them, though I don't think they'll be that great by themselves. Sigh. Well, hope you all enjoyed anyway! I know this chapter was slightly different in the sense that there was both POV's, but I didn't feel Bella really had anything of dire importance occur to have an entire chapter to herself. The next chapter is all hers, though. Heh. :D Review, review, review! Please?


	7. Chapter 7: Stink Bombs & Fishnet Thongs

**Chapter Notes**: I finally finished it! 11,531 words; a record chapter! I actually cut this one off before I had initially intended to, because a quite intriguing idea for the next chapter popped into my head, and as soon as I woke up today, I started on it. I already have 6 pages typed out! I think you all will enjoy it a lot. :D

I want to clarify something with y'all, because quite a few people have asked me this: **W****hy hasn't Edward commented on Bella's appearance?** The answer is quite simple, my lovelies, and it goes a little something like this:

When Edward first saw Bella, she was just the girl at the front desk; there wasn't anything spectacular about her that stood out to him at that moment. Five minutes later, she went all megabitch on him, which _really_ turned him off of noticing anything about her, other than the fact that she seemed like a raging lunatic. Just because he hasn't noticed her _yet_, though, does **not** mean he never will (and he will, trust and believe).

With that out of the way, as usual, I want to thank everybody who read and/or reviewed. It makes my day(s)! A special shout out to my girl Hannah, who I'm severely going to miss texting all day once she's back in Australia (cry!), and funkadelicfemale who complimented me much more than I deserve. ;) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: What I own: At least five misplaced hair brushes.  
What I don't own: The characters of this story. Boooo!

* * *

Chapter Song: Discotech – Young Love

* * *

--BPOV--

Thank fuck it was Friday.

I stood up from the round table and began gathering all of my papers together. I looked up at the clock on the wall: 5:05 PM. I'd just finished my last tutoring session of the day—I had all morning classes on Fridays, so from noon to 5 PM I tutored—and I couldn't wait to get home and finally _relax_. I shoved everything in my backpack and zipped it up, grabbed a strap and swung it over my shoulder, and walked across the hall to clock out. I said bye to the girl who was working at the sign in desk, then walked into the hallway.

"Bella!"

_Dammit! I can just pretend I can't hear him over the—wait, did I even grab my iPod out of my bag?_

I reached up to my right ear and, of course, there was no earphone bud. I cursed silently and cringed as I stopped and turned around to see Eric bounding towards me with a wave and a smile on his face.

"Hey, Bella!" he said, breathlessly.

"You're lucky we close at 5. That yelling wouldn't have been much appreciated if there were still people here." He laughed loudly and I flinched, startled by the intensity. I didn't understand why he was laughing; I was being completely serious. "What's up?"

"Not much. I just wanted to see if you'd made any plans for the weekend, yet."

_Fuck! And I can't use the fact that the weekend is too far away, either. Fuck, fuck, fuck..._

"Uh, well, I actually—um, y—I don't really—" I stumbled over my words, trying to formulate in my head something believable to say. _Fuck it_, I thought, _I'm pulling an Angela_. "I'm spending the weekend with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows and frowning.

"Uh huh," I said, nodding and looking around the room.

"Oh," he replied, sounding defeated. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend." I inwardly rolled my eyes; as if he'd ever had a shot.

"Yup."

"Well...what are you guys going to do?"

I hadn't prepared to have to explain myself, mainly because there wasn't any need to _have_ to explain myself to him. What kind of a fucking moron was he? Even if I had a legitimate boyfriend, why would he even need to ask what we'd be doing? Shouldn't it have been obvious?

"We're going to soak our feet and cut off each other's corns," I said sarcastically.

He looked confused for a moment, then a huge grin spread across his face. "You're pulling my finger, aren't you?" he asked, shaking his finger at me. "You're a riot. One of the things I like most about you, babe."

My eyes bugged out of my head and I had a brief choking fit. _Babe_? Had Eric Yorkie _seriously_ just called me "babe"?

"Are you okay?" he asked, touching my shoulder

I placed a hand over my chest and cleared my throat. "Yeah. I guess you just have that effect on me." I looked down at his hand and raised my eyebrow, then looked back at his face. "Well it's been..." I trailed off, not really feeling like adding fuel to his delusional flame by adding "fun" or "nice" to the end of the sentence. "I need to...go. Bye." I turned around and rolled my eyes hard as I hurried down the hall to the nearest stairwell. It would lead me to the complete opposite side of where I wanted to be, but anything that got me away from his greasy, acne-ridden ass as fast as possible seemed like the right way to go.

"Blehhhhh," I groaned, shaking my head and arms and wrinkling up my nose as I started down the stairs. I glanced at my shoulder and cringed, swiping at it harshly to get the invisible Yorkie grime off it. Since when was it okay for him to touch me? I couldn't ever remember a time where I'd given that douchenozzle the impression that he could feel up any part of my body when he so pleased.

"Ew," I whispered, shuddering again as I reached the first floor. I turned left out of the stairwell, then right to walk down the hallway that led to the exit. There weren't many people filtering the hallways, but the people that were there looked like they had just seen death. HSS seemed to be the least liked building of all of them on campus.

I couldn't possibly imagine why.

I felt around my pockets for my phone and panicked slightly when I couldn't feel it, then remembered I'd stuck it in the front zip of my backpack. I shrugged off a strap and swung it around my front, unzipped the front and spotted my phone immediately. I grabbed it, zipped the compartment closed and swung it back behind me, putting my arm through the strap again. I unlocked the keypad and opened a blank message before typing furiously on the keypad.

_**Omg, I'm about 10 seconds away from charging Yorkie with harassment.**_

I scrolled through my address book and selected Angela's name, then pressed send. I veered left and pushed against the metal bar to open the glass door with my side. A gust of cool wind blew against my face, causing me to squint as I walked outside, letting the door slam shut behind me. My phone vibrated in my hand and I hit the button to open to message.

_**Lol! Uh oh, what happened?**_

I hit reply and grimaced as I walked towards the long, yet short, set of stairs that were separated by a metal rail bar, and started down the left side.

_**He tried to ask me out again so I told him I was spending the weekend with my boyfriend.**_

I paused my texting as I climbed down the last step and started towards the doors to the back of the Business building, located under a metal patio-like cover, 50 feet in front of me. I pulled open the door and walked inside then looked down at my phone, continuing where I left off.

_**Then he wanted to be stupid and ask what we were going to do, so I said something smart assed and he called my bluff and PUT HIS HAND ON MY SHOULDER AND CALLED ME BABE. Ughhh gross.**_

I hit send and sighed, then looked up just in time to run face-first into something rock hard. I staggered back and blinked rapidly, slightly out of it.

"Whoa, there," a deep voice said, amusement evident in his voice as he reached out with both hands to grip my shoulders and steady me. I shook my head and blinked a few more times, looking up to see Emmett grinning crookedly at me. "You really are a klutz, aren't you, Bella?"

"You've been warned," I replied with a sigh, shoving my phone into my pocket.

"Yeah, I guess being knocked over is the best warning a person could get," he snickered**.**

"It's fine. Laugh at my misfortunes. At least somebody can," I said dramatically.

"Aww," he crooned through chuckles. "Are there more?"

"Right now, the only one I'm concerned about is Eric Yorkie."

"Do I need to beat him up?" he demanded, all traces of humor erased from in face instantly.

"I'm undecided," I said with a smirk. "I may need you to pretend to be my big, burly boyfriend, though, to get him to leave me the hell alone. You weren't kidding when you said you're pure muscle." I rubbed my nose and forehead where it'd run into his chest.

"Nope," he grinned, slapping both hands on his chest. "Drink it all in, mini-me."

"Hey, fuck you!" I exclaimed incredulously. "Don't hate on me because I'm _average_, Shrek." His booming laughter filled the mostly-empty corridor as he slung his heavy arm across my shoulders and started walking towards the front of the building, pulling me along.

"I get why Rose loves you so much. You're a little spitfire, aren't ya?"

"Depends on my mood," I said, tilting my head up to him and smirking. He chuckled and tightened his grip around my shoulders briefly, then dropped his arm to his side.

"So tell me about yourself," he said, pushing open the door and holding it for me. I thanked him quickly and walked through, then started towards the quad.

"What do you want to know?" I asked as I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out of my pocket and hit the button to read the new text.

_**Ewwwww!!! I'm sorry, though I have to say I'm slightly relieved that it won't be me anymore.**_

I smirked and hit reply.

_**Not all of us have an extremely convincing Ben who can scare him away, although I think I may have roped in Emmett for the next time.**_

Yesterday, Yorkie had attempted to woo Angela away from her "boyfriend" and, miraculously, Ben picked that exact moment to waltz into the office. Angela was relieved beyond belief and, seeing as how we had just talked about Yorkie and his attempts at being a hardcore _playa_, Ben had remembered the situation and told him to back the hell off of his girl, though something told me it wasn't exactly an act.

"Start with the basics. Where are you from?"

"Phoenix," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest and shivering slightly as I looked up at the sky—it was going to rain soon. I made a mental note to buy a slightly thicker hoodie next time I went shopping.

"Aw, lucky. It must be nice to get all that heat," he said. I shrugged and swiped my bangs away from my eyes.

"Yeah, I guess. I like this weather, though."

"Won't argue that," he said with a nod. "Any siblings?"

"Nope, you?"

"I have a sister. And I've known Edward for most of my life, so he's pretty much like my brother. I don't even remember what being an only child was like," he chuckled.

"I'm not sure I have a much better idea," I admitted. He tilted his head and gave me a questioning look, prompting me to explain. "My mom is very...young...for a mother. Carefree and scatter-brained. Our roles were always sort of reversed; I looked after her, kept her from making irrational decisions. She always called me her middle-aged child," I said, laughing lightly. "The rest of the time, though, our relationship felt like she was my big sister. Except when she tried to get all motherly and punish me." I grinned and shook my head, hearing him laugh beside me. We exited the quad area and veered to the right, past the Cesar Chavez building.

"Sounds like you had a rather interesting childhood."

I smiled slightly and sighed wistfully, suddenly and immensely missing my mom. "Where are you from?"

"A little podunk town in Washington," he said with a grin.

"I doubt anything is worse than Forks," I snorted, shaking my head.

"That's where I'm from!" he exclaimed, his grin growing wider and his dimples ever the more prominent.

"I'm so sorry," I said, looking at him with a dead serious face. He laughed loudly and nudged me with his elbow.

"Hey, it's home," he shrugged. "How do you even _know_ about Forks?"

"I was born there. When my mom and dad got divorced, my mom and I moved to Phoenix, but my dad stayed in Forks. I was forced from then on out to spend every summer there."

"Who's your dad?" he asked as we approached Burk Hall. "I'm sure I know him."

"I'm sure you do," I chuckled, shaking my head. "He's the Chief of Police."

"Chief Swan is your dad?" he asked with wide eyes. I nodded and glanced at him sideways in amusement.

"Are you two familiar with each other?"

"Not _that _familiar."

"Sure, sure," I said, unconvinced.

"Edward and I got in a little, tiny bit of trouble right before we started here, that's all." I raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue. He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "There was this kid, Mike Newton. Total douche packer, and he always talked shit, but any time we'd start to do something to him, he'd go crying _somebody_ and we'd get in trouble. So after graduation, we may or may not have snuck out in the middle of the night and thrown a fuckload of stink bombs into his slightly-opened window."

I snorted loudly and covered my nose and mouth with my hands, muffling my laughter. "My dad never told me about that! What happened?"

"Mike went to him and accused us, of course. Wanted to press charges or some stupid shit. Chief Swan came and talked to us and we denied it, but I'm pretty sure he knew. It was so funny, though, 'cos Newton came with him to talk to us, and he was bitching about us breaking and entering, and Chief was like, 'It's not breaking and entering if you left your window down; that's asking for disaster.' It was great. He had to keep the windows down all day and night to try and get the smell out, so we did it one more time when the smell started going away. Then we went and got him one of those little pine scented car fresheners and put it under his windshield wiper the next night."

I had tears streaming down my face at that point, my vision extremely blurred. "Oh my god, I have to meet this guy!" I shouted between gasps for breath.

"He might try to molest you, just for saying 'hi' to him," he said, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Not if Jake was with me, he wouldn't."

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Jacob Black; my best friend."

"Jacob Black," he said softly, repeating it under his breath a few times. "Is he from the rez? The name sounds familiar, but I know it wasn't from Forks."

"Yup," I said. "It's still mind boggling how small your towns are, that you even know people from the town _over_."

"Eh, you get used to it," he said with a shrug. "I've played ball with him. Big guy, that one." He whistled lowly with raised eyebrows. I smirked and sighed—my Jake. My big, behemoth Jake.

"Maybe I should get _him_ to scare Yorkie off. Oh, man. That'd be fucking _priceless_." I cracked up at the mental image of Eric's face just upon _seeing_ Jake, much less once Jake popped a verbal cap in his ass.

"I'm pretty sure he'd shit his pants if that guy stepped foot in front of him," he snickered. I nodded in agreement and laughed even harder.

"I can't wait. This is going to be amazing. He's coming down here the week before Spring Break to visit me. I didn't think it was possible to be any more excited than I was, but lo and behold, I am. I guess I can finally thank that pervert for something."

"I can still punch him, just for shits and giggles," he said earnestly. "He sounds as stupid as Newton."

"I love how you've never even met him, yet you're so willing to beat the shit out of him," I laughed, looking up at him. He smirked and looked down at me with a shrug.

"I don't like people fucking with my friends. Not only are you close to Rose, but _I _like you a hell of a lot, and I'll knock his scrawny ass to the ground if he doesn't quit harassing you." I grinned and hugged him from the side as fiercely as I could manage.

"I can _definitely_ see why Rose loves you so much."

~º~º~

"Bella," Angela said in exasperation as she stared into her floor-length mirror, "_help me_!" I was sitting cross-legged on her bed, leaning back on my hands and watching her in amusement as she flung yet another shirt beside me. I looked down at it and picked it up with a sigh.

"Ang," I said, fingering the material, "I'm like, the least fashion-conscientious person in the world. I don't think you want my help."

"I know, but you're good at picking out the right things for people to wear!" She turned around and looked at me pleadingly, holding a different shirt against her chest. "Come on, Bella. I've been trying to find the right outfit all day, and I've still got nothin'." I grimaced and slowly climbed off the bed, stood up, stretched, and turned around to face the clothes on the bed.

"Okay," I agreed reluctantly. "Where are you guys going, again?"

"Dinner, and then some live theater comedy show," she said, coming over to me, dressed in a white, over-sized t-shirt with the shirt she'd been holding up by her side. I nodded and bent over, beginning to sort through the mess with furrowed eyebrows. "I love the fact that I asked him out, but he insisted on planning _and_ paying for the date. He even made sure I'd be okay with both places," she said with a dreamy sigh.

"Neither of them requires walking a long distance, I hope," I said, glancing to the right out the window, covered with sheer white curtains. No more than thirty minutes after I'd gotten home, it began raining, just as I'd predicted it would.

"It better not," she said with a slight attitude, and I smirked in response.

"What time is he going to be here?" I asked. I'd need all the time I could get to try to figure something out.

"8," she replied. I looked at the digital clock on her bed stand then back at her with raised eyebrows.

"What?" she asked as she turned her gaze to the clock. Her eyes widened and her hands smacked against her forehead. "Crap! It's already 7?!" she shrieked as she grabbed a fist full of her hair. "I haven't even started on my make-up, or my hair—oh, man. I don't even know what I'm going to do with my hair!" she wailed. I grabbed her hand and loosened her grip on her hair, turned her around and shoved her toward her bathroom—she had the master bedroom, so there was a bathroom in the room.

"Then get on it," I said, pushing her through the door frame. "I'll have at least one outfit out when you get done." She nodded and fluttered her hands across the counter as I turned around and headed back to the bed. I stared at the clothes with my hands on my hips. It literally looked as if she'd thrown every article of clothing in her closet on top of each other. I sighed and bent over the bed to begin sorting through her clothes.

Angela was a lot like me in the sense that she was more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of a girl, but I preferred wearing humorous or band shirts, while she was more into layering thin, brightly colored shirts. She did enjoy dressing up on occasion, though, so I knew she'd have something classy enough for a date, but casual enough to still be comfortable.

I dug through the pile, looking for my favorite jeans on Angela. They were dark wash—I pretty much loved dark wash on anybody—DKNY skinny jeans that gave her stick-skinny ass some pretty amazing curves.

"I still don't know what to do with my hair!" she yelled from the bathroom with a frustrated groan.

"Curl it. All the way up, with the big curling iron," I replied as I found the jeans and laid them across her pillows, then started on the _real_ task at hand: finding a proper shirt.

_White thermal? _Too casual. _Blue and white striped sleeveless cami?_ No way, it was too cold. _Short sleeved plaid peasant top? _Very cute, but not right for a date. _Zebra print tunic?_ I stared at it for a few seconds before throwing it across the room. I wondered if she got that shirt at the same place the guy in the line at Café Rosso got his. Yes, it was that heinous.

And so it went on like that for about fifteen minutes before I came across a Navy blue, smock empire waisted, flutter-sleeved, v-necked shirt with lace detailing and a little string bow from Abercrombie & Fitch. I regarded it carefully before throwing it down on top of the jeans, then I grabbed the large pile of rejected clothes I'd piled _neatly _on top of each other, carried them over to the closet and put them up. After I was done, I got down on my hands and knees and started to search for shoes. The fact that it was San Francisco and everything was elevated pavement, on top of it raining made my choices very limited.

"Bella?"

"Huh?" I shouted, my head still in the closet.

"Can you come spray my hair?" I crawled back and pushed myself up, making my way to the bathroom. I walked through the door and she turned to face me with a can of Garnier Fructis hairspray in her outstretched hand. I grabbed it and popped the lid off as she turned around and covered her face with her hands.

"Anti-humidity," I said, reading the can. "Brilliant choice for living in this city." She laughed and nodded.

"That's the only reason I got it."

"Whatever works," I replied, and started spraying up and down her big curls, then in big circles a few times before putting the cap back on and placing it on the counter. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. "Man, I love the way it smells."

"Agreed. Okay, now for make-up. Any—"

"Use the brown and gold combo for your eyes," I said quickly, cutting her off. "Put the gold all the way up to the arch of your eyebrow, use the brown in the crease and a little above, and then use a mix of the two above that." She stared at me in surprise with raised eyebrows. "Rosalie is nothing if not thorough," I explained with a shrug. "How the hell do you think I managed to know what the 'right outfit' always is? Oh, and don't forget to curl your eyelashes."

I walked out and back to the closet, resuming my position on the floor. It was a definite no to any sneaker or high heel, and flip-flops were out of the question as well. I highly doubted she would have any shoes in navy blue, so I'd decided I'd have to settle for black. I spotted a pair of pointed toe low heel shoes and grabbed them as a possibility, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with them, so they'd be a last resort. I crawled back and slid the closet doors across the track to the other side, then started looking through the rest of the shoes. Almost immediately I spotted a pair of black, round-toed Maryjane flats and grabbed them, threw the pair of shoes next to me back inside the closet and stood up, walked back to the bed and placed them next to the shirt and jeans. Ah, yes. I approved.

"Alright, what do you have for me?" I looked to the left and saw Angela walk out of the bathroom and towards the bed. I motioned towards the outfit I'd laid out and watched her reaction as her gaze followed my arm. "I don't even remember seeing that shirt!" she said as she picked it up. "Yes, yes this is a very good outfit. Thank you so much, Bella!" She hugged me fiercely and I laughed, patting her back.

"Yeah, yeah. You need to hurry up and get dressed, though. You only have twenty minutes until Ben gets here, and he doesn't seem like the type that runs late." Her eyes widened at the amount of time she had left and I chuckled as I walked back to her closet. I opened the left side again and rummaged through it until I spotted her black Steven Madden pea coat, then I slid the door closed and walked towards her bedroom door, throwing the coat on her bed as I passed. She pulled her t-shirt over her head carefully, so as not to mess up her hair, and I did a double take upon seeing her in her underwear and a bra. Not just any underwear and bra; Victoria's Secret, see-through, hot pink polka-dotted lacy underwear and a hot pink bra.

"Special occasion?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. She looked at me in confusion, then down at herself and blushed profusely.

"Shut up! It'll make me a bit more confident."

"Hey, I'm just sayin'," I said, holding my hands up and grinning. "I'll leave you to it then." I walked down the hallway into the living room, plopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on. I started flipping through the channels, though it was a futile effort since I knew nothing would be on.

_Repeat, stupid show, Japanese soap opera—ooo! There's subtitles!_

I stared intently at the TV, listening to the emotion in their voices as I read the yellow translations on the bottom of the screen to get the feel of what was going on. I continued watching it for ten minutes with no commercial interruptions and I was pleased, considering there was only five minutes left of the show, according to the TV schedule.

"Okay, how do I—"

"Shhh!!!!" I said loudly and leaned forward, waving her away with my hand as I kept my gaze on the TV. I watched the last few minutes with my jaw slightly ajar, then leaned back as the credits rolled. "_What _a cliffhanger."

"Um..." I heard to the right of me. I looked over and saw Angela standing in the entry way between the hall and the living room, completely dressed in the outfit I'd picked for her.

"You look amazing!" I said happily, motioning with my finger for her to spin around slowly. She obliged and I grinned widely at her as we made eye contact again.

"Thank you so much, Bella. Seriously, I'd have never been ready in time if it weren't for you." I rolled my eyes and waved a hand dismissively; I'd never been good with compliments of any sort. "What the hell were you watching?"

"Oh! It was this Japanese soap opera about...this guy—I can't remember who—couldn't marry Pan Men Rei because it would ruin his family's reputation, and they forbid him from having anything to do with her. Then, Yu Yan was saying, 'Si Lang, I should have realized a talented person like you couldn't just be a book clerk.' And her father was all, 'Yu Yan, marriage is not a game,' because she already gave Si Lang her vows of marriage, but she's in love with Chai Bu Fun! Then her father yelled at her and walked off, so she started writing Si Lang a letter. Then Chai Bu Fun showed up and was all, 'Run away with me!' Then it went off. It was incredibly intense."

She started blankly at me for a few minutes as I stared at her, waiting for her to say something. There was a knock on the door that I could only assume came from Ben, and she _still_ hadn't said anything. She just walked towards to door, glancing over at me a few times as if I were the weirdest person she'd ever met.

Well, shit. _I'd_ thought it was pretty good.

I stood up as she answered the door around the couch, leaning against the back of it and watching the two of them.

"Hey," he said with a bashful grin.

"Hey," she said brightly, "come on in. I just need to grab my coat and then we can leave." He nodded and walked in as she turned and walked briskly to her room.

"Hey, Bella," he said with a small wave.

"Hey, Ben," I replied with a big smile. "Excited?"

"Yeah," he breathed out with a slight smile, then collected himself quickly. "It'll be pretty fun, I think."

"I'm sure it will. Is it still coming down pretty hard out there?" He nodded and raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, pretty much. I brought an umbrella, though; I left it outside the door so it wouldn't get the floor wet," he said, pointing behind him. Aw, he was thoughtful, too.

"Good thinking," I said. "How'd you get in through the front, by the way?" There was a glass door that led into the lobby, and it could only be opened from the outside with a code

"I live in the ones up front, by the leasing office. The same codes work for all of the buildings," he explained.

"Ah, okay," I replied. "I didn't know that. They're newer, right?"

"Yeah, but the layout looks basically the same as this. We're essentially paying $600 more a month for wood floors and a _slightly_ bigger kitchen."

"I think I can live without wood floors," I replied with a laugh. "You Arcadia people can afford it, though," I teased.

"Leave him alone about his hometown, Bella," Angela said, walking out of the hallway with her pea coat slung over her arm.

"Oh, shove it. It's all in good fun," I said, winking at Ben. He smiled and straightened up as Angela walked over to him and stopped.

"Here, let me help you with that," he said, grabbing her coat and opening it for her so that she could shrug into it. I covered my mouth with my hand and coughed, trying to keep from smiling too broadly as I gave myself a moment to regain my composure.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Bella," she said as he opened the door and stepped aside, motioning for her to go through first. I nodded and wiggled my fingers in a wave at them.

"Have fun! I won't wait up." She flipped me off and walked out the door. Ben gave another little wave and walked out behind her, letting the door go. I faintly heard him complimenting her on how nice she looked before the door slammed shut. I erupted into a fit of giggles and ran over to our sleek, black, cordless home phone that sat in it's charging cradle next to lots of unopened mail on the small, glass desk against the wall. I picked it up and ran back to the couch, plopped down and dialed Rosalie's house number.

"I was just about to call you," she answered.

"Oh? What for?"

"To tell you we're going shopping tomorrow. Despite the rain today, it's supposed to be a very nice day tomorrow, and I want to be _gone_ by 9:30," she replied coolly.

"In the morning?" I groaned. "Come on, Rosalie, it's the weekend!"

"Shut the hell up, you big baby. We're going shopping, then to lunch, then to hang out at the wharf for however long we feel like it, and it's going to be _fun_. I better not have to drive my ass all the way over there and _still_ have to wake you up. I have a key, and you can bet your ass it won't be pleasant."

"It's a two mile drive."

"Still a different city," she reasoned. "Just the same, it's in your best interest to be done by the time I get there."

"Can't I just...skip out on the shopping?" I asked, picking at the frayed bottoms of my jeans.

"No."

"I didn't think so," I sighed. "Where are we going?"

"Westfield, then Union Square. Oh, and I've been meaning to go to a few shops down Haight street, so I guess tomorrow would be as good a time as any."

"Sweet. At least it won't be _complete_ torture." I could practically hear her rolling her eyes over the phone. "Can we go to North Beach for lunch? I've been craving Italian like you wouldn't believe."

"Sounds good," she agreed. " Mmm, then dessert on the wharf."

"Waffle cones," we both said in unison, then laughed.

"So, what are you up to this fine evening?"

"Absolutely nothing, you?"

"Same. Emmett isn't here, _again_, and I'm lonely. I should have moved into the dorm."

Rosalie lived by herself in a _very_ nice studio at the Westlake Village Apartments in Daly City. She'd lived in one of the freshman dorm buildings the year before, and refused to live on campus _ever_ again. Even though Rose worked full time, she didn't make enough to even cover her _rent_, much less utilities and anything else she'd need for an apartment, and since her parents were extremely well off and didn't want her living in the slums of San Francisco, they agreed that, as long as she continued to do as well as she was doing in school, they'd pay her rent. She'd reasoned she was actually doing them a favor by not moving into the dorms. ("It's costing them $17,000 a _year_ for Jasper to stay on campus, Bella," she'd said. "$17,000. It's costing them half that a year for me to live in my nice, secluded apartment. I should be getting a fucking daughter-of-the-year plaque for that.")

"Give me a break, you'd be in jail for assault if you had to live with three strangers."

"Probably. Would you bail me out?"

"Yes, but I'd have to hit up your parents and ask them to Western Union me the money. I'm just a broke ass college student." We laughed heartily and sighed.

"So, Angela left about ten minutes ago for her date with Ben."

"Oh, _really_? What'd she wear?" I briefed her, leaving out no detail, and she hummed in approval.

"I've taught you well, grasshopper. Was he polite?"

"Completely! He left his umbrella in the hall so our floor wouldn't get wet, he kept friendly conversation with me while waiting for Angela, checked her out—but not enough to seem like a pervert!—then helped her into her jacket and held the door open for her. I appreciated his earnestness."

We talked and laughed for about two hours before she decided to call it a night, and all but ordered me to do the same. We hung up, but not before she threatened my health if I wasn't ready on time once more, and I turned everything off, made sure the door was locked, and trudged to my bedroom. I stripped, climbed into bed, and fell into a quick and peaceful slumber, listening to the rain falling steadily outside.

* * *

"5 more minutes," I mumbled into my pillow. My alarm clock wasn't having it, though, and kept blaring obnoxiously. I lifted my pillow, buried my face underneath it and smashed the sides against my ears in an attempt to ignore the alarm and fall back to sleep. It continued to honk, still much too loud even through the pillow, and I groaned loudly.

Fucking Rosalie.

I huffed and threw the pillow off my head and across the room, sat up hastily and smacked the alarm clock to shut it up. 8 AM; way too early to be up for a Saturday.

"Piece of shit," I muttered, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I walked towards the door, grabbing my towel off the hook on the back before pulling it open and walking into the hall. I looked to the left and noticed Angela's door was still open. I raised an eyebrow and crept slowly towards her room. I peered over the edge of the frame and spotted her bed, still slightly rumpled from where I'd sat on it along with her entire wardrobe the night before.

"Angela?" I called, a lop-sided grin creeping onto my face as I realized I probably wouldn't be getting a reply. "Ang?"

Silence.

I let out a squee and skipped to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me with my my ass, she knew exactly what she was doing, the little hussy. I snickered and draped my towel over the rack then bent over, turning the knobs for the shower on. I stuck my fingers in the stream of water to make sure the temperature was right before stripping and stepping in. I sighed deeply; a nice, hot shower when you'd been ungraciously woken up was one of the best feelings in the world.

I took my time, massaging my scalp slowly as I washed it, and used my Victoria's Secret Love Spell wash over every inch of my body. After I washed my face and felt sufficiently clean, I turned the water off and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around my body as I stepped out carefully. The last thing I needed was to slip and fall. With my luck, I'd end up paralyzed, left to be discovered by Rose or Angela while sprawled out _naked_ on the bathroom floor; talk about mortifying. I opened the door and shivered as the air from the hallway hit me. I scurried into my room and closed my door, in case Angela came home. Somehow, I didn't think seeing my bare ass would do anything but put a slight damper on her undoubtedly euphoric mood. I grabbed my Love Spell lotion and squirted some into my hand, rubbing it onto my still-damp arms, chest and legs. I put on some deodorant, I dropped my towel to let my skin air dry and wrapped it around my hair as I walked over to my closet.

_What to wear, what to wear, what to wear..._

I grabbed the hanger that my medium colored jeans with a frayed knee hung on, then pulled my stretchy, long sleeved black and white striped shirt off its hanger and threw them on the bed. I figured that'd be suitable for Rosalie, and if it wasn't, she could suck it. I walked over to my dresser and pulled open the top drawer, grabbing a pair of ankle socks and throwing them onto the bed, a pair of plaid boy shorts and a white bra. I put them on and looked at the clock: 8:40 AM. I shrugged and opened the door, making my way back to the bathroom. I reached under the sink and pulled out my blow dryer, plugged it into the wall, opened the mirror to grab my brush and turned on the blow dryer.

Twenty-five minutes later, my hair was dried straight, my eyes were lined thinly with black eyeliner and my eyelashes curled up with a thin coat of mascara. I made my way into my room and got dressed, grabbed my black converse and sat on the floor to put them on. I stood up and went over to my bedside table, grabbed my hair band and slid it on over my wrist, just in case. I heard a lock click on the front door and smirked, figuring it was Angela.

"You better fucking be up, bitch!" Rosalie. I rolled my eyes and looked at the clock, then walked out the room and into the hallway, leaning against the wall.

"I am, but you're ten minutes early."

"Sue me. Since you're already ready, though, we might as well go."

"Right, 'cos that wasn't planned at all," I said with a raised eyebrow. She smiled innocently and shrugged as she twirled her car keys around on her index finger. "Let me get my things together real quick."

I turned around and went back into my room, walking over to my bedside table again. I grabbed the necessities—cell phone (fully charged), wallet (debit card and license secured in their respective slots)—and shoved them in my purse. I slung it over my shoulder and walked to my closet, grabbing my thin, fitted black zip-up hoodie and walked out of the room and into the hallway.

"Okay, let's go." I followed her to the door, grabbing my keys off the hook in the process, and locked the door from the inside. I twisted the knob once it closed to make sure it'd locked properly, locked the dead bolt then shoved my keys into my purse before climbing down the few steps that led into the lobby.

"Where's Angela?" she asked as she pushed open the glass door and held it for me to walk through.

"I'm guessing she's at Ben's," I replied, climbing down the stairs to the sidewalk and walking next to Rosalie towards her red BMW convertible. She looked over at me with a smirk and raised her eyebrow.

"Already? It's not even ten, yet."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, thank you," I snapped, glaring at her. She rolled her eyes and waved her hand in dismissal. "She never came home last night, actually." Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly.

"Well, fuck me. Good for her!" She hit the button to unlock the doors as we approached the car and opened her door, climbing into the drivers seat swiftly. I opened the passenger side door and slid in, placed my things on the ground and shut the door as she started the car.

"I'm putting the top down this afternoon, just to give you fair warning," she said as we buckled our seat belts and she began to reverse out of the parking space. I lifted my arm and pulled my sleeve up slightly, snapping the hair band around my wrist.

"I came prepared." She smirked and put the car into drive, zooming down the narrow road leading to the street and turning to the right much too quickly. I gripped the seat and door handle tightly as she sped down Arballo Drive and turned left down Higuera. "Can you slow down? Jesus wept," I pleaded, tugging on my seat belt just to make sure it was secure.

"Can you shut up? This is a one way street, there's no traffic, and what good is it to have a fast car if you can't speed?" she said, slowing to a stop and turning her right blinker on at the intersection.

"Speeding ticket, ever heard of that? I am a child of the law, in case you've forgotten." She rolled her eyes and turned, merging into traffic.

"Fuck the law, cops around here don't give a shit what you—can you fucking GO, you slow ass?!" she yelled, looking over her right shoulder quickly and switching lanes. She glared at the offending car as we passed and screamed, "Get off the road, Grandma!"

"Oh, real nice, Rose. What if she has a heart attack from that?" I scolded as she switched back to the left lane and veered to the left again, slowing to turn at the green light onto Brotherhood.

"At least I wouldn't be stuck behind her if it happened," she shrugged. I smacked her arm hard and she laughed, swatting my hand away. I rolled down the window and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply; Brotherhood Way was lined with trees, and even though they were kind of barren, they still smelled amazing, especially in the crisp morning air. I opened my eyes and leaned my head back, staring up at the sky through the window.

"I thought it was supposed to be sunny," I said, rolling my head to the left to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It will be downtown," she replied, rolling her window down slightly and sticking her fingers through to feel the temperature before rolling it down further. "You know how it goes." I nodded in understanding; I lived in the Sunset District of San Francisco, and for some reason it was always grey and cloudy in the area. Downtown, though—especially near the wharf—it was always sunny, but with a fierce wind that made the temperature of both parts of the city feel essentially the same.

Within five minutes we were merging onto the 280 North. Rose got over to the farthest left lane, and once she was in a constant flow of traffic, she pressed a knob on the radio to turn it on and lifted the side compartment, reaching inside and pulling out her iPod that was hooked into the adapter.

"Find some music," she ordered, handing it over to me, never taking her eyes off the road. I scrolled through the artists for a few minutes before barking out a laugh and selecting the artist, scrolling through the list of songs and hissing a "yes!" when I found the one I was looking for. I hit the middle button and looked at Rose, who was looking between me and the road with a raised eyebrow. I grinned as the music started; she looked speculative for a moment before realization dawned on her face, and she laughed loudly, turning the volume up.

"You might've been hurt..._babe_," we both sang, mimicking Justin Timberlake before we started laughing again. We sang through the first verse, swaying side to side and bouncing in our seats.

"Are you ready?" I yelled over the music right before the chorus started. She didn't get a chance to ask me what I meant before I broke out into the dance—well, moving my arms and feet to the routine while sitting—from the "It's Gonna Be Me" music video. She gripped the steering wheel with one hand and her stomach with another and was laughing so hard she was turning red, with tears streaming down her face. She was waving the hand that was previously gripping her stomach, saying "stop, stop, oh my god," breathlessly as I sang the last line of the chorus and pointed my thumb to my chest. "Oh!" I exclaimed after I finished, clapping my hands loudly. "I got MAD skills. Don't hate."

"I can't believe you remember that dance!" shouted, wiping the tears from under her eyes with her middle finger. "No, actually, I can't believe you even _know_ that dance!"

"I can't believe you actually have this song in your iPod. Dude, why _wouldn't _I know this dance? I was 12 when this song came out, and 'N SYNC was _da bomb_," I said, mocking the slang from back then. "Like, ohmigawww, Justin was _sooooo_ dreamy," I added in an obnoxious voice, flicking my wrist flamboyantly.

"No way, girrrrrl," she replied in the same tone, touching my forearm. "Lance was off the _hook_."

"Dude, he's gay," I replied seriously.

"He never met me," she replied with a shrug.

"You are ridiculously vain," I scoffed, shaking my head.

"I'm entitled! Look, just because you refuse to bask in your outer beauty doesn't mean the rest of us can't."

I rolled my eyes. "I suppose if anybody could turn him straight, it'd be you."

"Precisely," she said with a smirk and a wink.

~º~º~

"No more," I groaned as we walked out of Victoria's Secret, both of our hands filled with bags from numerous stores—most of them were Rosalie's, naturally.

"Just one more. For you!" she said over my protests. "Shut up, shut up, I don't want to hear it."

"But why? I got a hoodie, I got these stupid underwear and bra's as you requested, that nobody but me is going to see, what else do you want?" I asked, exasperated. She muttered something under her breath and I furrowed my eyebrows. "What?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, smiling widely. I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion as she turned to the right and started walking. "Anyway, we're going clubbing tonight, and you are in dire need of a sexy little dress." I sighed heavily and followed, knowing it was futile to argue. "I'm taking you to Express, since I know how much you fucking hate people spending shitloads of money on you." I started to protest but she was faster, spinning around and clapping a hand over my mouth. "Don't argue this. I'm the one making you do it in the first place, I'm paying." I licked her hand and she shrieked, pulling her hand away and wiping it on her shirt. "That tickled, you whore."

We walked into Express and Rosalie went straight towards the dresses.

"What size dress do you wear?" she asked as she rummaged through the racks.

"Ah, small, I guess," I replied, standing off the the side awkwardly. I looked around, gripping the bags in front of me, rolling back and forth on my heels.

"Take these and go to the dressing room," she said, grabbing the bags from my hands and replacing them with a few dresses. I looked around, clueless, for a sign telling me where the dressing room was, but apparently Rosalie was too impatient to wait for me to find it, because she huffed and shoved me forward and to the left, walking me all the way back to the dressing rooms. "Go," she ordered as she set the bags on the floor and sat down, draping her arms across the backs of the chairs to the left and right of her and crossing her legs. I walked into an open dressing room and closed the door behind me, hanging the dresses on the hook. I slipped out of my clothes and placed them on the little seat then turned to the hook, picking the first dress off the hanger. It was a turquoise, halter bubble dress, and I slid it on over my head, adjusting the neck tie. I looked in the mirror and regarded myself carefully, reveling in the cool feel of the fabric against my skin. I shrugged and opened the door, walking out to show Rose.

"That," she started, "is a magnificent color on you. I'll need to keep that in mind for future reference, but I'm nixing it. Looks more appropriate for a date." I turned around and walked back into the dressing room silently. Her critique was always more for her sake than mine. I couldn't have given less of a shit what I wore, or what color looked good on me. I pulled the dress up and over my head, hung it back on the hanger and laid it across the seat. I pulled the next dress off the hanger—a red, cut-out, three-quarter sleeved tunic. I slid it on and pulled it down, or rather _attempted_ to pull it down, and walked out with a grimace, still trying to pull the ends down so my ass cheeks weren't hanging out.

"Oh god, no. What was I thinking? Maybe if you got a tan, but with that translucent skin? No. No, no, no, take it off. _Now_." I grunted and trudged back to the dressing room, praying the torture would be over soon.

It didn't end soon enough, though.

After hearing her trash at least six dresses, I was at wit's end. _This one_, I thought silently as I plucked the dress off the hanger, _is it. I am not a fucking mannequin._ I pulled the dress on as quickly as I could and looked in the mirror to adjust myself. It was a black, fitted, v-necked halter-top mini dress with a ruffled skirt that, about five inches below my shoulder blades, cut straight across in the back. I walked out of the dressing room and, surprisingly, Rose smiled. Not just any smile; her smile of approval.

"Yes, that is perfect," she purred. I heaved a sigh of relief and rushed back into the dressing room to get dressed, emerging with the black dress slung over my arm. She grabbed the dress and gestured with her head towards the bags—apparently, since she'd decided to pay for the dress, I'd been summoned to lug all her shit back to the car.

Perfect.

~º~º~

Once we'd managed to get back to the car (Rosalie chatted animatedly about a pair of shoes she had that would go great with the dress she'd purchased for me the whole walk back. My guess was that in her excitement, she failed to realize that the "killer shoes" she was speaking of would probably be _literal_, in my case.) and shoved all the bags in her trunk, we made our way over to Haight Street. After spending nearly half an hour trying to find a parking space—and not even a _decent _one, just somewhere to park in general—we said "fuck it," and parked in the McDonald's parking lot next to Amoeba Music. I'd gathered it worked out fairly well, considering Rose insisted on going in before we left; she wanted to try to find a poster Jasper wanted for their birthday, and I was never one to pass up an opportunity for new music.

We went in and out of many of the eccentric shops as we walked down Haight Street, laughing at the so-obviously-stoned employees in half of them who earnestly tried to persuade us to buy very interestingly designed bongs and pipes. When we reached the Piedmont Boutique, however, Rose turned all business.

"I need a dominatrix outfit," she explained as we walked through the store. "The whole shebang, you know? Leather corset, underwear, paddles, whips."

"I wonder how your mother would feel, knowing her sweet baby girl has turned into a leather-loving vixen," I said in amusement.

"Probably the same way your father would feel knowing his daughter just purchased a thong made of fishnet and lace," she replied. I gaped at her in astonishment.

"You practically _forced_ me to buy that!"

"Technicalities," she said, walking through a beaded doorway at the very back of the store that led into a room full of adult novelties. "Now shut up and help me, bitch." She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned before turning to the wall of costumes.

Half an hour later we exited the store, Rosalie equipped with "the whole shebang," and then some.

"I'm getting hungry," she said, lifting the hand that carried her bags eye-level and looking at her watch. I nodded in agreement and sighed, looking to the right, down the shop-filled street that we hadn't covered. "It's half past one. Are you set on walking the entire strip?"

"Nope, I'm good to go if you are," I replied. She nodded and gestured to the left with her head, silently agreeing to walk back. Twenty-five minutes later we were at her trunk, putting the bags in before heading to Amoeba Music. I stood off to the side, looking around as I waited for her to finish whatever she was doing. She slammed the trunk shut and simultaneously thrust a bag against my chest before walking towards the music store. I instinctively wrapped my arms around the bag and looked down, confused.

"What the hell?" I called out after registering the hot and light pink striped Victoria's Secret bag in my hands. "What's this for?" She was already about thirty feet ahead and down on the pavement, next to a graffiti-covered wall. She turned around and placed her hands on her hips in annoyance before spotting me and scratching her head.

"Oh, shit. I grabbed the wrong bag. I meant to grab the True Religion bag, so I could keep all of Jazz's birthday things together. Oh well," she shrugged, "doesn't matter. Come on." She turned back around and started walking.

"Oh well?!" I shrieked, running down the sloped pavement to the sidewalk and catching up to her. "No, 'oh well', they take all bags at the front! What the hell am I supposed to do about that?"

"Oh, who cares? We're already here, it's not that serious. They won't even notice." She opened the door and held it, gesturing for me to go in. I huffed and furrowed my eyebrows before stomping through the door, hearing the door swing shut as she came up behind me.

"Bags," I heard in a deep, bored voice. I looked up at the platform the employees collected the bags in and saw a guy with buzzed, black hair and brown eyes wearing jeans and a black, fitted Vans t-shirt. Rose handed her bag over and received a cubby number before walking off, presumably to the posters. I shrugged my purse off my shoulder and handed it, along with the Victoria's secret bag, over, refusing to make eye contact. I heard him chuckle softly with caused me to blush furiously as I took my cubby number and mumbled "thanks" before darting through the detectors. I walked to the right and saw her peering over the many rows of CD's anxiously

"What are you doing?" I asked cautiously. She flinched and looked at me wide-eyed.

"I was...looking for an employee. I don't really feel like digging through all these posters," she said, motioning behind her, "and I figured I'd save myself some time and get someone who knows where it is to find it for me."

"Okay," I nodded, "but there's about five _just_ in that section over there," I replied, pointing to the right and raising my eyebrow. She followed my arm with her eyes and pursed her lips.

"So there is. I hadn't noticed," she replied. "Thanks." She walked towards the employees and I stared at her in confusion; why the hell was she acting so...weird? She paused and turned around, looking at me quickly before turning around and again and continuing forward. I shook my head and turned around, making my way down the ramp, towards the CDs. I walked over to the Rock section and regarded them carefully, picking some up for inspection before placing them back in their respective slots. I was looking for one in particular, and much to my surprise, I wasn't finding it. I realized it had been a while since I'd seen Rosalie, and I looked over to the poster section, standing on my tip toes and straining my neck. I didn't see her so I began looking around the store, spotting her in the vinyls section. That was all good and great, until I saw someone with a mop of bronze hair talking to her.

A mop of perfectly disheveled bronze sex hair. I stared hesitantly, waiting for him to turn so that I could get a better look. Rosalie spotted me from where she was, though, pointed towards my direction which caused the guy to turn his face towards where she was pointing; the guy being Edward.

I cursed under my breath and ducked down before sprinting forward, looking around for somewhere I could hide. He could _not_ see me. Unfortunately for me, though, I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was scurrying off to, and ran right into a side display, effectively knocking down CDs and drawing attention to myself.

The weird, tomato-faced, hunch-backed scurrying girl.

I closed my eyes tightly for a second, willing my blush to go away before scrambling to pick up the CDs that were dropped.

"Is everything okay?" a smooth voice asked from behind me. I froze, with at least ten CDs piled in my arms.

_Please don't let it be who I think it is, please don't let it be who I think it is..._

I slowly pivoted on the balls of my feet, still in a crouch, and looked up. Of fucking course, he had to be the one to come and assess the scene.

"Uh, ye—I just, um...I don't...can y—" I stuttered before sighing heavily. He raised an eyebrow and stared blankly at me. If I hadn't thought it was possible to blush even more profusely, I certainly proved myself wrong at that moment. "Sorry," I mumbled, pivoting back around quickly and grabbing more of the CDs. I heard a sigh, then he was crouched down next to me, picking up the rest of them. I stood up and started placing them back on the top rack carefully.

"It happens," he replied. "I'll take care of it."

"No, I knocked it over. I don't mind," I said, keeping my gaze on the task at hand. He stood up soon after and started placing CDs on the second rack while I finished with what I had.

"Sorry," I repeated, still refusing to make eye contact.

"Don't worry about it."

Silence. I could practically hear crickets chirping.

"Um," he started before clearing his throat. "Do you need any help?" I shook my head vehemently and stepped backwards, away from the disaster that was this confrontation. He nodded and turned around to start walking away.

"Actually, yes," I blurted, changing my mind. He stopped and looked over his left shoulder questioningly. "Um...the new Nine Inch Nails CD. I can't find it." He motioned for me to follow him and I started forward; he waited until I was at his side to start walking.

"We generally stick new releases in the side display of whatever row the band is usually stocked in, but for some reason that CD got put on the other side of the store," he explained as he turned to the right and started down a different row. It didn't escape me that every female, old and young, in the vicinity stared a little longer than necessary at him as he passed. I rolled my eyes and furrowed my eyebrows, hurrying to keep up with his long strides while staring at his jean-clad ass. His very _nice_, fitted, jean-clad ass. "Here we go," he said as he came to a halt and plucked a CD off the rack, handing it to me.

"Thank you," I said, as I took the CD from his hands. I chanced a glance up at his green eyes and he was looking at me cautiously. "What?" I asked, paranoid that I had something on my face.

"The CD sucks. Hard." I blinked a few times and raised my eyebrows, startled.

"Just because it's not your preference of music doesn't mean it sucks," I defended. What the hell?

"No, I'm a huge fan of the band. This CD just really blows, though. With Teeth was endurable, and enough of the songs were good, but this one," he said, gesturing towards the CD in my hands with raised eyebrows, "this one just goes on and on, and it doesn't flow well at all. At some point you find yourself wondering if it's ever going to fucking end." I stared up at him with my jaw hanging open. "If you're a fan of the old Nine Inch Nails sound, you don't even want to bother."

I narrowed my eyes and jutted my chin out in defiance. "I think I'll take my chances, thank you." I turned around and picked up the nearest earphones, scanning the CD underneath and waiting for the samples to start. I could see him still standing in my peripherals, no doubt waiting to prove himself right. I'd show his smug ass. I listened intently to the first sample and furrowed my eyebrows; it was only about four notes on an electric keyboard. I skipped to the next one and grimaced; _one_ really freaking long note for the entire sample before another note was struck and the sample faded out. I went to the third, then fourth, fifth, sixth, and kept skipping, each time at a faster pace.

"Jesus, how many fucking tracks are on this thing?" I growled. I heard a chuckle and looked to the right, glaring at him as he leaned against the rows of CDs and stared at me in amusement.

"I told you," he said smugly. I rolled my eyes and took the headphones off, placed them back where they were and leaned over to put the CD back where I saw Edward grab it from.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, straightening up. I was eye-level with his white t-shirt and saw a big warning label on it. I furrowed my eyebrows and read: _WARNING: POWERED BY CAFFEINE_. I snorted and covered my mouth. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, looking down at his shirt then back at me.

"What?"

"A huge warning label just seems kind of severe for that," I said through chuckles, shaking my head. The corner of his mouth twitched, and I could tell he was fighting the urge to smile.

"There you are!" I heard exclaimed from behind me. I turned around and saw Rosalie walking up with a record in her hands. "I found what I needed."

"I know, I helped you find it," Edward replied, pushing himself off the CDs and walking forward until he was on the side between the two of us, stretching. I forced myself not to stare at him and instead focused on the poster.

"Technicalities," she said. "Did you find what you wanted, Bella?" I swept my gaze from Edward's shoes—hey, black converse, too!—to his face and blushed, seeing him looking at me in the same smug amusement.

"Yes, but it's not worth it," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Edward chuckled and I shot another glare at him, narrowing my eyes.

"Am I missing something?" Rosalie asked, looking between the two of us with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"No. Can we go?" I asked hastily. She nodded and turned around, starting toward the register and I followed, with Edward behind me.

"I gotta get back to work," he said as we approached the line. "See ya later," he waved. Rosalie waved back and thanked him for his help before smacking my arm, prompting me to mutter a "goodbye." The line moved quick enough, and we made our way towards the exit.

"Give me your number," she said, holding her hand out impatiently. I handed it over to her and she walked through the detectors and over reached up to hand the numbers to somebody. I walked through and stopped behind her, waiting for my bags before hearing that damn voice again.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" I looked at Rosalie and she was biting her lip, looking up. I followed her gaze to find Edward with my Victoria's Secret bag dangling from his finger by one of the straps.

"Oh, my god," I whispered, shutting my eyes tightly.

"Whoops," I heard Rose say.

_Oh, god. The possibilities of that one fucking word..._

"Oh-ho," he laughed, "quite risque, missy. I don't think your brother would much appreciate you wearing these."

"Good thing they're Bella's, then." My eyes shot open and I stared at her in absolute horror. Then my gaze went up to Edward, who was staring at me incredulously as my black thong protruded from to overturned bag on the counter—of course, it would have to be _that _one—then back to Rosalie who was laughing, though trying to hide it with her hands.

It only took .05 seconds from that point for me to go from horrified to angry as a mother fucker.

"Rosalie," I said in an even voice, which caused her to cease her laughter immediately; she knew that voice. "Those 'killer shoes' you want me to wear won't be killing _me_ tonight if I have wear them." I stormed out of the store and down the sidewalk towards her car. I knew she'd grab my bags for me, but at that moment, I couldn't have cared less about them. All I could think about was shoving a pair of her stiletto heels up her asshole.

_You better sleep with one eye open, Rosalie Hale._

_

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**Chapter End Notes: **Thank y'all for reading! I hope I didn't make it too long. :s Review and leave me some good lovin', and I'll respond! Promise!


	8. Chapter 8: Sex Changes & Eiffel 65

**Chapter Notes**: Remember that record chapter? Scratch that; this one takes home. **13,878 words**. 26 pages! I'm getting afraid, y'all. Pretty soon you'll be getting an entire novel for a chapter! Haha. :) Thank you to everybody who reviewed on the last chapter AND the outtake (although I see bribing y'all didn't have nearly the same effect as it did at Twilighted. I got almost 60 reviews JUST on the outtake alone! Come on, people, catch up! haha). I have to credit Maximista over at Twilighted for the J/E interaction, because she was the one that made me think of the hi-_lar_ious scenario. Plus, she wants my babies. That in itself deserves credit. Thanks, as always, to my girl Hannah who only encourages me with each chapter, and thanks again to funkadelicfemale for even _more_ kind words. ;) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: What I own: Lots and lots of awesome books, even though one of my favorites has been misplaced (cry!).  
What I don't own: Anything Twilight related.

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Chapter Songs: Blame It - Jamie Foxx

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--EPOV--

I was up and in the shower before my alarm went off on Saturday morning. I loved working on weekends; there was always a steady crowd, therefore a steady flow of work. I stepped out and dried off before throwing on my boxers, jeans and t-shirt. I grabbed my clothes off the floor and opened the bathroom door, walked to the bedroom and tossed my clothes near my bed then walked out and down the hallway, running my towel furiously over my hair. I'd noticed that Jasper's door was open when I walked out of the bathroom, so it didn't surprise me to see him sitting on the couch. It _did_ surprise me, however, to see him shifting around on the couch and messing with his fingers nervously.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying not to laugh. He looked up at me, startled, but relaxed slightly a few seconds later.

"Uh..." he started, then cleared his throat. "Waiting for Alice."

Ah, yes. Their little shopping excursion was this morning. "Are you okay?"

"I just...I'm really...gah, I don't know," he replied, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Well, if I'd had any doubts regarding his feelings for her, his behavior would have completely dissipated them. I eyed him carefully and pursed my lips before tossing my towel onto the nearest chair and walking into the kitchen. I opened the cabinet to the left of the stove and grabbed the bag off the second shelf, then made my way to the arm chair to right of the couch, turned slightly to face it. I opened the bag and grabbed a handful, shoving them all into my mouth as I stared at him, then sighed.

"Jasper, Jasper, Jasper," I said, and he looked at me warily. "You've been my room mate for about six months now, and I consider you a good friend." He nodded and raised an eyebrow as I chewed. "But I've known Alice over half my life, and she's my best friend."

"I know," he said, sounding confused as to where I was going with the chat.

"I'm very protective of her."

He swallowed slowly, his neck visibly straining, and nodded. "I know."

"So I feel obligated to ask what your intentions are with her."

I pursed my lips to keep my composure. I knew I was scaring the poor guy; it was obvious from his facial expression, but I had to make it known that I would have to castrate him if he hurt my girl. His expression smoothed into one of confidence and determination and I raised my eyebrows, silently urging him to answer.

"My intentions are to be whatever she wants me to be, for however long she'll let me."

_Ku_do_'s, my friend; well answered!_

I narrowed my eyes and nodded lightly. "Okay then. I trust you. Just know, I will personally chop off your nuts with a butcher knife if you hurt her." He smiled and leaned back on the couch, obviously relieved.

"I can deal with that."

I smiled and leaned forward, slapping him on the shoulder before leaning back into the chair. "I feel this calls for celebration. Open your mouth."

"_What_?" he asked, his expression one of extreme caution. I snorted, realizing that his first thought was probably that I was trying to turn his mouth into a glory hole. I lifted up the bag from my lap and waved it side to side to clarify my intentions.

"Goldfish. Rainbow colored, to make this bonding celebration all the more gay," I replied, reaching in to grab another handful and picking out a purple one with my other hand. He threw his head back and laughed before turning towards me and opening his mouth. I lifted my hand and threw it, hitting him in the eye. He flinched and closed the one eye, looking around his lap and the couch for it as I threw another one and hit him in the side of the head. I laughed silently and threw another one as he swatted a hand across his hair, still looking for the first one I threw. I kept tossing them steadily until he finally had enough surrounding him that he could pick up and throw back at me. I blocked my face with my arms as rainbows of cheesy fish were being tossed back and forth until somehow, one ended up in his mouth.

"Score!" I cheered, throwing up my arms as both of us laughed loudly. "Fucking finally."

"What the hell is going on?" Jasper and I looked up and saw a disheveled Emmett standing in the entryway, scratching the back of his head, eyes surveying the scattered crackers on the floor.

"Go back to bed, Emmett, you're interrupting our bonding session, and we're on a deadline," I said, still chuckling. He blinked and lowered his hand, looking between the two of us before placing it over his heart and dropping his jaw.

"You're bonding..._without me_?" he asked in mock horror. "Edward, how could you?"

"You're old news, Emmett," Jasper piped in, lifting his legs onto the couch and crossing them at his ankles. "He needs someone fresh."

"So fresh and so clean, clean," I added, nodding solemnly.

"This is unforgivable, Edward. And Jasper, I don't know what...I can't even look at you," he said dramatically, turning his head and shielding the side of his face with his hand. I laughed loudly and ran a hand down my face, shaking my head.

"Dude, we've got to be the _gayest_ room mates in the history of this building."

"Except for the _actual _gay ones," Jasper added.

"Duh, this _is_ San Francisco," Emmett said in an obvious tone of voice. I nodded and raised my my eyebrows before reaching into the half-empty bag and shoving another handful into my mouth. A knock sounded and Emmett looked side to side before going to answer the door. Jasper's joking and calm demeanor was gone and, once again, he looked nervous. I set the bag down on the side table and stood up, ruffling Jasper's hair. He looked up at me and sighed before standing up as well, smoothing out his shirt and pants.

"It'll turn out fine. Trust me," I said, slapping him on his shoulder and gripping it encouragingly. He threw me a grateful half smile before Alice's voice filtered through the hall and into the living room.

"Is he ready? He better be ready," she said, her voice getting closer.

"He's ready," I answered with a smirk as she came into view, walking towards her. Our arms widened instinctively and I enveloped her small frame in a tender hug, rubbing her back. "Go easy on him," I whispered into her ear, "he's nervous." She pulled her head back and looked me in the eyes, almost incredulously.

"Why?"

I smirked and winked at her before pulling away and stepping to the side. "Well," I started, looking over at the clock on the microwave. "It's 8:30. You guys better get going if you're going to make it back by night fall," I teased, realizing I needed to finish getting ready for work and be out the door within fifteen minutes.

"Okay. Are you ready?" Alice asked, looking timidly at Jasper. Jasper shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded, grinning crookedly and rubbing the back of his neck. I looked between the two of them in amusement, then to Emmett who had a similar look on his face.

Alice turned and walked towards the door, growling and smacking Emmett's arm as he ruffled her hair playfully. He snickered and did the same to Jasper, who ducked away from his hand and shook his head with a chuckle.

"Okay, you dicks. I'll talk to you two later. I appreciate you wearing your jeans, Edward," she beamed, turning towards me. "Emmett, you need to brush your teeth." She scrunched up her face and shook her head before turning back around towards the door. Jasper held it open for her and she thanked him softly before walking into the hall. "And call mom, you beast!" she shouted as an after note.

"Yeah, yeah," Emmett grumbled, rolling his eyes. Jasper waved and walked out the door, but I caught it before it closed and stuck my head out.

"Have fun, lovebirds!" I shouted. "And please don't kill my room mate, Alice. We've just recently begun a bromance." She flipped me off, and I yelled, "Use protection!" before pulling my head back inside and slamming the door. Emmett laughed loudly and walked back towards the room, shaking his head.

I followed behind, going into the bathroom to brush my teeth before walking into the room and over to my drawers, bending down to take out a pair of socks and grabbing my black converse as Emmett climbed back into bed. I sat in my computer chair to put them on, then ran a hand through my hair as I stood up, finding it to be pretty much dry. I grabbed my cinder plaid Vans hoodie from my closet, shrugged it on then zipped it up three-quarters of the way before fixing the hood.

"Alright, man," I said as I hooked my keys onto my belt loop, shoving my wallet in my back pocket and my phone in my front pocket. "I'll see you later." He waved and said bye through a yawn as I turned and walked out the room, to the door and into the hallway, towards the elevators. One opened immediately after I pushed the button and I selected the first floor, tapping my fingers patiently against the railing I was leaning back against as it descended. The elevator doors opened once I reached the lobby, and I walked out, turning to the left towards the automatic doors. I spotted one of Lauren's hooker friends at the front desk—god, they were fucking _everywhere!—_and cringed, whining softly to myself as I walked into her view. She looked up and her eyes widened before her whole expression changed into one that looked like she'd just swallowed lemon juice.

_She _can't_ think that's attractive..._

"Hey, Edward," she said in almost the _exact_ voice Lauren had used when she suggested I make time for her "late at night." I covered the grin that was quickly growing with the back of my hand and coughed out a laugh against it before sniffing and scratching my eyebrow once I regained composure.

"Hey...you," I replied, not remembering her name. Not that I gave a shit.

"Where are you off to so early in the morning?" she asked with a wink, standing up and leaning forward on her elbows on the desk.

_To trollop through the non-existent daisies, you twit._

"Uh...work."

"Oooh, and where is that?" Right, like I'd really tell her that. I'd _seriously _never escape them if I did, and I wasn't a total idiot. I looked up at the clock hanging on the wall behind her, wishing I had superhuman mind powers that could make it swoop down and knock her ass out. She was going to make me miss the shuttle. I suddenly remembered vaguely tuning in to Alice rambling on about some shop on Castro that sold organic men's cosmetics and frilly shit like that, which gave me a brilliant idea.

_Shit! What was the name of that place? Sissy boy...no, Sassy Ho—uh...Ninny..._

"Nancy Boy!" I exclaimed loudly, clearly startling her.

"What?"

"That's where I work; Nancy Boy. It's down on Castro. We sell our own line of natural men's cosmetics," I said, nodding enthusiastically.

"Castro? But...but that's for like...gay people," she said, looking around and all but whispering the last part.

"I know! It's fabulous. You should come by some time; bring your friends!" Okay, so I was going a little overboard with the flamboyancy, but fuck it; she'd definitely spread the word, and if they all thought I was gay, maybe they'd leave me the hell alone. "I have to get going now. Bye!" I waved and awkwardly half-skipped out both sets of automatic doors, hoping to god that nobody else witnessed that. As soon as I rounded the corner I walked normally, sighing heavily and rolling my eyes; where had these bitches _come _from? It was absolutely ludicrous that I had to feign being a flaming homo in order to get them away from me. I looked towards the street and, just my luck, saw the shuttle pulling away.

"_No_," I groaned, frowning and throwing my head back. I hadn't brought my fucking iPod, either. I trudged slowly down the sidewalk towards the benches in front of the on-campus registration office and plopped down with a sigh.

Fifteen minutes later, I boarded the shuttle and rode it to the front of the school, crossed the street and waited for a few minutes before the 28 rounded the corner and pulled over. I shuffled onto the bus with the few people that were waiting and paid the $1.50, took my transfer slip and sat down towards the back. At Lincoln and 19th Avenue I transferred to the 71, rode it all the way down to Haight and Stanyan and got to the store at 9:43 AM. I pulled on the door then knocked after finding it to be locked. My manager, Gabe, came towards the door, motioning to the hours of operation sign until he realized it was me, then unlocked one of the doors and pushed it open for me; I was met with the sound of the Dead Kennedy's playing softly throughout the store.

"Sorry, Edward. I thought you were another customer," he explained as he locked the door back after I'd walked through. "There's been four in the last ten minutes; apparently people lack the ability to read signs." I laughed and shrugged, preparing to tell him it was fine when I heard another voice.

"How can you mistake _that_ face?" I turned my head and saw Ashlyn, my co-worker, walking up to us with a smirk.

"That's what I'm sayin'," I joked. "Get it together, man. You're killin' my ego."

"Yeah, yeah, go clock in already. We're lagging." I chuckled and leaped up onto the platform where the cubbies were located, then hopped down to the right behind the registers and walked towards the employee room.

"Hey, man," I said, greeting another co-worker of mine, Matt; he had a look on his face that could only mean he was doing one thing: inventory. He turned towards my voice and smiled.

"Hey, 'sup?" he asked, giving me a nod and a wave.

"Not much. Inventory?" He grunted in response and turned back to the desk, and I laughed lightly; at least it wasn't me. I unzipped my jacket and hung it on the coat rack, then walked over to where the name tag lanyards hung. Though we weren't required to wear them—and unless I remembered (which wasn't often) I didn't—I'd figured it wasn't the best idea to lose it, which was likely to happen if I took it with me back to the dorm, so I always left it at the store. If it got stolen at the store—it'd actually happened twice—I wasn't held responsible, so I wouldn't have to pay for a replacement. I pulled it over my head and clocked in, then walked out a door on the other side of the room that led to the staff door at the far corner behind the registers. I walked through it and towards the center isle, doing cross-swings with my arms to stretch them out.

"Oooh baby, do that again." I looked around and saw Ashlyn again to my right, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Show me a boob and I'll do much more than that," I replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes and punched me in the arm.

"You're such a perv," she said.

"Yeah, but you love me." She snorted but smiled.

Ashlyn and I had had a pretty solid relationship from day one. We always flirted like crazy, but it was all in good fun; nothing would ever come of it. Don't get me wrong, she was absolutely gorgeous: medium length black hair, blue eyes, maybe 5'6", a nice ass, rack and curves, and she had legs for _days_; she just wasn't into me. She wasn't into _any_ guy, actually, and she'd made that and the fact that she was proud of it very well known. Essentially, we had the perfect relationship; I could flirt with her, then move on to somebody else and not have her go psycho or bitch slap me after the fact.

"Okay, so what's been done already?" I asked, slinging an arm across her shoulders and walking lazily down the center.

"Pretty much nothing," she said, wrapping an arm around my waist and laughing. "I swept the floors when I came in." I snorted and veered to the left, taking her with me to start checking the location of the CDs. There was no fucking way we'd be able to get them all in their right locations without closing the store for an entire week, but we still tried to be as organized as possible. People who came in were surprisingly cool about putting things back where they found them.

"What time did you guys come in?" I asked, stopping in front of a rack and letting go of her shoulders. She dropped her arm from my waist and went two racks over.

"I got here about a quarter after nine," she replied, thumbing through the CDs to help organize them as well. "Matt came in about 9:30, and Gabe is always fucking here, so who the hell knows about him." I smirked and chuckled silently, moving a few CDs back a slot. Technically, Gabe was the only one that had to be in before the store opened; the night crew was _supposed_ to have everything done for the morning crew, but since we'd all worked the night shift at some point and knew nobody did a damn thing to organize, a lot of people who were scheduled to come in at opening time voluntarily came in anywhere from half an hour to an hour earlier to help set everything up. I didn't mind doing it, and it was more money in my pocket, even if only a few dollars.

We got about five isles done, front and back side, before it was time to open at 10:30. We all went to our stations: me at the register, Ashlyn at the cubbies, and Matt on the floor, while Gabe settled at the information desk after he'd unlocked the doors.

The full crew of 18 employees (six cashiers, six people on the floor, two at bag check-in, three at the sell/trade-in counter, and still just one at the information desk) inhabited the store by noon—the first hour or so was always pretty chill, so it wasn't necessary to have them all there at opening—and the store was starting to get packed. There was the occasional break in the line, but we were all steadily filling up our registers. I took a break at 12:30 and rotated with somebody on the floor when I came back fifteen minutes later; Matt had taken Ashlyn's place at the bag check in, and we bumped fists as I walked past. It was pretty steady for the next hour or so. Gabe took his lunch from one to one-thirty, and Matt took his from one-thirty to two. Ashlyn and I always waited until we _had_ to take lunch—legally, you couldn't work past five hours without a lunch break—so a few of the other employees took theirs early.

I was walking around the store, making myself available for help when I felt a tap on my shoulder blade. I spun around and looked down at a cute, green-eyed girl with frayed, flaming red hair in a jean skirt and plaid button down. I grinned crookedly. Suh-_weet_.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked smoothly.

"I certainly hope so," she replied with a smirk. I raised my eyebrows; oh yeah, baby. "One of my MSI CDs died tragically the other day from overuse, and I need to replace it immediately. I can't seem to find it, though."

"Which one?"

"Frankenstein Girls Will—"

"—Seem Strangely Sexy, yeah," I replied, cutting her off. "Good album. It was stocked this morning." I raised an eyebrow and licked my bottom lip.

"Strange," she said, raising an eyebrow at me as well. "Maybe I looked in the wrong section."

"Maybe," I agreed with a smirk, though by the look she was giving me it was obvious she hadn't. Girls; they were always so transparent. "Let's go." We headed towards the Electronica isle at the front of the store and I stopped at the row where the M's were located.

"So," she started, then I felt something against my stomach. I looked down and saw her hand reaching for my name tag, trying to turn it around. "Edward," she finished, dropping it back down. I gave her a sideways glance and continued thumbing through the CDs.

"Yes?"

"How long have you worked here?"

"Collectively, about a year," I said, plucking the CD out and turning towards her, holding it out. "And you're not a very good liar." She looked me in the eyes and took the CD from me, putting it down by her side.

"No, I guess I'm not," she admitted, laughing lightly. I grinned and shook my head, leaning against the CDs. "Hayley," she said, sticking her hand out. I met her hand with mine and shook it once, letting the grip linger a beat longer than necessary before pulling away.

"Well then, Hayley, you could have just struck conversation with me, you know. I don't bite."

"Damn. I was so hoping you did."

I smirked and twirled my name tag between my fingers. "I'm always willing to make an exception." We stared at each other, her matching my smirk, for a few seconds before I felt my side being pinched.

"Hey, you!" I looked over, startled, until I saw it was Rosalie, smiling brightly at me. I smiled back and straightened up, turning to face her_._

"Hey, what's up?" I replied.

"Not much. I need help with Jasper's birthday present and I thought you could help me, if you're not too busy." She smiled at me again. I looked down in confusion; Rosalie and I didn't have a bad relationship—well, we really didn't have one at all—but just the same, she'd never seemed happy to _talk_ to me, much less see me. I shrugged and agreed, figuring I probably didn't want to know the reason for her mood, then turned to Hayley with a wave and a brief farewell. Duty calls.

"So what were you looking for?" I asked, following her lead.

"He's been wanting some poster by that band he likes, Muse?" she said with a shrug, stopping at the poster section. "I don't know what it's supposed to look like."

"Hm." I furrowed my eyebrows, fingering some of the posters sticking out of the boxes. "I know he's been staring at the framed CD online for a few months, drooling like a little bitch." She laughed and looked up at the posters on the wall.

"So I need to order it, then. Okay. Actually, I've been looking around for a good deal on The White Album on vinyl. Do you have it?"

"Yup. They're over there," I said, motioning towards the left before starting towards the rows filled with vinyls.

"So," she started as I crouched down, sifting through some boxes under the shelves, "any plans tonight?"

"Nope," I replied, glancing at her quickly before turning my attention back to the boxes. "Why?"

"I was just thinking maybe we could all get a group together and go clubbing." I stopped at looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Who's going?" I asked.

"Me, Em, Alice, Jazz. Maybe Angela, who I'm sure will be bringing Ben," she said. I nodded; seemed like a decent crowd. "And Bella." I grimaced; so much for decent. _No_, I told myself. _Don't let her ruin a possible good night out with friends. _I found the vinyl and sighed before standing up and handing it over.

"Yeah, okay," I said finally. "I'll go. What time?"

"We'll meet up at your dorm around 9. Em is going to buy some vodka with his fake ID some time today so we'll start drinking before we head out."

"Who's driving?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. She shrugged and looked up at me.

"Probably Emmett."

Hell no. He drove like a mad man on a normal basis, fuck no was I getting in a car with him after he'd been _drinking_.

"I'd rather not die while trying to have a good time," I said. "I'll be the DD."

"How generous of you. Always the responsible one," she smirked. I rolled my eyes; what a great legacy.

"Something's going on over there," she said, pointing behind me. I followed her arm and turned around, scanning the rows. Just as I was about to tell her I couldn't see anything unusual, CDs crashed to the ground from one of the side displays.

_...the fuck?_

"I better go check on that," I said with a sigh, and turned around, jogging over to the mess. I saw a girl crouched down, her brown hair splayed across her black and white striped long sleeved shirt. I leaned my head back a bit and raised my eyebrows; nice ass. _Very_ nice ass, at least from this angle.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, tilting my head to the side as she paused her pursuit of gathering the fallen CDs. She slowly turned around, still in a crouch, and—fuck me! I should have fucking known that Rosalie wouldn't have come here on a Saturday alone.

"Uh, ye—I just, um...I don't...can y—" I stared at her and raised an eyebrow; where the fuck was her inability to speak a few days ago? That could have come in handy. Her face was red as a tomato as she mumbled an apology and turned around, resuming her attempt at cleaning up the mess. I had to be professional; I wasn't going to start shit, and apparently neither was she. It was obviously an accident, and she seemed pretty embarrassed which I found, for some reason, kind of endearing.

So she _wasn't_ an icy bitch all the time.

I sighed and walked to the side of her, crouching down and picking up some of the CDs. "It happens. I'll take care of it."

"No, I knocked it over," she said, standing up. "I don't mind." I shrugged as she started putting them back on the shelves and gathered up the remaining CDs, standing up to put my pile on the second shelf simultaneously. We finished and she muttered another apology, still flushed from embarrassment. I told her not to worry about it, and stood in front of her in awkward silence. I cleared my throat and sniffed before asking her if she needed help, like the good floor attendant I was (cue internal eye roll). She shook her head no and I shrugged, turning around and walking away. She changed her mind, apparently, and asked me to help her find the new Nine Inch Nails CD.

Huh. She had decent taste in music, too.

I motioned for her to follow me, waiting for her to reach my side before leading her towards the listening center, where for some reason or another that CD had been stocked. I grabbed the CD and handed it over to her while contemplating whether or not I should, as a faithful Nine Inch Nails fan, clue a fellow fan in on the disaster that was _Ghosts I-IV_.

"What?" she asked finally. I looked at the CD then back up to her face and thought, "what the hell." So I told her what a piece of crap it was, and how nearly unbearable it had been for me to hear. She set her jaw and jutted her chin out as she pulled on the earphones and scanned the CD. I found that incredibly humorous; she was so fragile looking on the outside, I'd noticed: pale, almost translucent, skin, deep, chocolate brown eyes and such a delicate little frame—like a kitten, almost. But obviously internally she felt as big and ballsy as a lion. Her growl of frustration at the never-ending CD snapped me out of my thoughts and I had to fight extremely hard to keep as straight a face as possible. And, of course, I had to throw in a smug, "I told you so." She turned toward me with a scowl after removing the earphones, then suddenly laughed loudly, covering her mouth with her hands. I looked at her confused, then down at my shirt which was what she was seemingly staring at.

"What?"

"A huge warning label just seems kind of severe for that," she said. I looked back down at my shirt and understood, the corner of my mouth twitching. Rosalie appeared right then, exclaiming that she'd found what she was looking for, as if I hadn't already known. I shifted my position, not realizing before then that I'd been leaning against the CDs, and stretched.

"Did you find what you wanted, Bella?"

I looked at her in amusement to find her looking right back at me, a blush forming on her cheeks again—she blushed an awful lot. She mumbled about something not being worth it and pouted, which made me chuckle—I couldn't help it!—and she glared at me before asking Rosalie if they could go. Rosalie turned around and started walking down the isle followed by Bella, then me. My eyes traveled down of their own volition—sheer curiosity, I suppose—to her ass and I hummed internally; yes, if nothing else, she definitely had a nice ass. I walked them to the register and declared I needed to get back to work. It was about time for another rotation, so I went to the bag check in and excused myself politely to the people standing in front of the entry way before hopping onto the platform.

"Alright, Seth. The floor is yours," I said, taking numbers from the next person in line and grabbing their bag from a cubby behind me. Seth nodded and hopped off the platform, taking the route behind the registers as Matt grabbed more bags from beside me. We finished the line fairly quick and were leaning on the counter, joking around, when Rosalie shoved the cubby numbers in my face.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me," I said, smirking as I grabbed them from her hand.

"You wish," she retorted, rolling her eyes. I shook my head and turned around, grabbing two purses and a—oh, _really_? I grinned so wide my cheeks were shaking and turned around, seeing Bella beside her.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" I asked, walking towards counter with the Victoria's Secret bag dangling from my finger. Rosalie swatted at the bag in an attempt to get it, but only succeeded in knocking it over, which consequently—for her, at least; not me or Matt—caused a very see-through, _very_ hot black lace thong to halfway fall out of the bag.

"Oh-ho, quite risque, missy. I don't think your brother would much appreciate you wearing these," I taunted, leaning on the counter.

"Good thing they're Bella's, then."

….....................

_I think I forgot how to breath_.

I stood there, gaping at Bella like a real fucking winner. It wasn't such a surprise for me with Rose; she just seemed like the type to wear sexy things like that, but not _Bella_. I mean, I didn't know anything about her, other than the fact that she was obviously insanely clumsy and crazy, but her demeanor and exterior appearance—she was just so..._normal_. It was a total and complete shock factor, which kind of made me unwillingly wonder what she was wearing under her pants at that moment. I vaguely registered her turning her rage on somebody else but _me_ when I was in the general vicinity before she stormed out of the store.

"Somebody's in trouble," I muttered, because that's all I could coherently say right then.

"Oh, shut up," Rosalie snapped, snatching the bags off the counter and walking out of the store after telling me she'd see me later.

I stared blankly at where they'd both stood, moments before, then at the counter where the sexy, barely-there underwear—if they could even be classified as that—had lain. I heard a snicker that snapped me out of my daze and looked around. Ashlyn was staring at me in curious amusement and Matt was laughing in the corner.

"Gabe says we have to take lunch now," she said, and I nodded, leaping off the platform behind the registers to go clock out, still in somewhat of a daze.

~º~º~

"So Edward," Ashlyn started as we walked side by side down Haight. "Who was that hot piece of ass you were talking to?"

"Who, Rosalie?" I asked. Not that I thought she was a "hot piece of ass" by any means, but almost everybody else seemed to think so. I mean, even a blind person would somehow be able to know that she had a beautiful face, but even from first glance, I wasn't exactly _attracted_ to her; maybe because I'd always been partial to dark hair.

"Was that the one in the striped shirt? The brunette?"

I faltered in my steps, my eyebrows almost to my hairline. "_Bella?_" I asked incredulously.

"I don't know, dumb shit, that's why I'm asking you," she replied, grabbing my arm and pulling me across the street.

"Bella's the brunette, but why—you think _she's _hot?"

"Do you not have eyes, Edward? Everything about her is totally bangable. Her face just makes you want to reach out and take it in your hands, and she has such expressive, beautiful eyes. And her mouth! Ah, man, her mouth. She has _really_ fucking kissable looking lips."

"I...hadn't noticed," I said, confused. Were we talking about the same girl?

"Is she a switch-hitter?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "She's not exactly my biggest fan, and vice versa. We're normally not that civil, but I was working, so..." I trailed off with a shrug. "Although it would make sense if she were gay," I snorted.

"Why, 'cos she doesn't want your ass?" she teased, nudging my side with her elbow. I laughed and rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"_No_, because she's so damn temperamental, and she pretty much hated me from the moment she met me for no damn reason. You know how you lesbos are," I teased, getting a smack on my arm in return. "Although, I'm pretty sure some part of her wants a piece of this," I joked.

"Maybe that's why she hates you; because she wants you."

"Right, because that makes a whole fuckload of sense."

"Females don't make sense. Even if she is gay—which if she is, you better hook it up—you could probably get her if you wanted her. Shit, if anybody could make a gay girl go straight it'd be you. _I'd_ go straight for you." I laughed loudly and tugged on her hair gently before hugging her from the side.

"Just name a time and I'm there," I said with a wink. "Who said I even want her, though?"

"I'm just saying," she reasoned, before turning into the open door of Escape from New York Pizza. We got in line and ordered, got our pizza and sat down, talking and joking as we ate. We walked back at ten minutes to three, walking in with a few minutes to clock in and get settled at our stations. I stayed at the bag check-in for the duration of my shift, and at 5:30 I clocked out, said goodbye to the employees I passed on my way out and walked down to the bus stop at Haight and Stanyan, boarded the 71 and transferred to the 28 ten minutes later, riding it all the way back to the school. I walked peacefully through campus as the sun began to fall; twilight was always my favorite time of day. It was always so peaceful, and in the fifteen minutes between then and complete darkness, I could see the beauty in absolutely anything and everything in the world.

*

I unlocked the door to my dorm and walked in, calling out to Emmett and Jasper as the door slammed behind me.

"He's still gone, you traitor," Emmett said, walking out of the kitchen with a can of Coke.

"Get over it," I laughed, tossing my keys onto the island before plopping down on the couch, propping my feet up on the coffee table and crossing my ankles. He pulled out a chair at the dining room table and straddled it, resting his arms on the back of it.

"Heard from Alice at all?" he asked, taking a sip.

"Nope, you?" He shook his head no and grinned.

"What do you think they're doing?"

"I don't want to know," I chuckled, stretching my arms over my head and groaning. "He's been warned, and that's that."

"I think it's hilarious that _I'm_ her brother, but you're more protective of her."

"I know. And you can kick anybody's ass better than I can," I added with a smirk.

"I think she can handle herself. She's always armed." I looked at him and frowned in confusion; Alice didn't carry around weapons, what the hell was he on? "Her pointy ass heels," he explained, pointing his index finger at me. "Those things can fuck someone up." I threw my head back and grinned, nodding in agreement.

We watched a marathon of RENO 911! that was on TV until about 8:30. At that point we figured, since Rose said everybody would be here at 9, we should probably get ready and walked back to the room. I grabbed a pair of dark wash jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a white and black satin striped button up (Alice, of course) and closed the door behind me on my way to get ready in the bathroom. I stripped down to my boxers and pulled the t-shirt on. I stood in front of the sink, looked into the mirror and ran a hand over my cheeks and chin, determining my facial hair was visible enough and felt long enough to shave without getting razor burn. I grabbed the shaving cream and a razor from inside the mirror and wet my face and upper neck thoroughly, lathering it with the gel. I stuck the razor under the water for a few seconds, shook the water off and started on my neck, working my way up slowly.

After I was done, I rinsed the excess shaving cream off and wiped it dry, rubbed a small amount of Fahrenheit aftershave over my face then wet my hands and ran them through my hair in an attempt to tame it. _Eh. It was worth a shot_. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair one more time before getting ready. When I walked out of the bathroom, the bedroom door was open and Emmett was sitting on his bed, pulling on socks. He had a pair of dress shoes next to him on the bed and I walked over to my bed, picking up my discarded clothes from this morning and tossing them into the hamper with the clothes I'd worn for the day. I grabbed a pair of black and white suede Pumas and set them on the bed, pulled out a clean pair of socks and sat down on the bed to put them on.

Fuck it. Emmett could pull off dress shoes casually, but not me. I looked like a fucking dipshit, and they pinched my feet. No thanks.

We made our way back down the hall, Emmett veering to the left into the living room and myself veering to the right and into the Kitchen. Before he had a chance to sit down, there was a loud knock on the door, and he turned around, jogging towards the door. I heard his enthusiastic greeting and Rosalie's response, so I turned around to rummage in the cabinets for the set of six shot glasses we owned; assuming I could figure out where the fuck we'd stashed them. Rosalie greeted me and I turned to look at her over my shoulder, smiling and responding accordingly. _Aha!_ I located three and grabbed them, turned around to set them on the counter and froze in place.

Ho-ly _shit_. There stood..._Bella_,in a tight little black dress, staring right back at me with smoldering, smoky eyes. At least I assumed it was Bella, because I knew it sure as hell wasn't Angela. But it couldn't be Bella. Bella wasn't this fucking..._hot_. My god, I could feel my dick twitching in my pants as my eyes roamed her up and down, and—no. _No_. I needed to snap myself out of it. This was _Bella_. She was a haggard bitch...who just happened to be the sexiest fucking thing I'd seen in _ages_. Ugh.

I heard a throat clear and shook my head, blinking rapidly as I came out of whatever fucking testosterone-induced funk I was in. I put down the shot glasses and turned around soundlessly, reaching back into the cabinet and producing one more. I opened the freezer and grabbed the vodka, set the other shot glass down on the counter and twisted off the lid on the bottle, pouring the clear liquid sloppily over all four shot glasses.

"Chill the fuck out, and don't pay attention to her," I muttered to myself before grabbing one of the shots and downing it quickly.

"I thought you were the DD tonight," Rose said.

"I just needed a shot. Just one," I reasoned, running a hand over my face as she threatened my livelihood if I crashed her car. I only half-cared; I was really fucking tense and was sure the shot would relax me. And it did, for a little while. I played bartender and poured shots, carefully avoiding any and all eye contact with Bella—if I'd had any doubts about her identity, Rosalie had confirmed it was indeed her, many times—and her wardrobe. Alice called Emmett and told him she and Jasper weren't going to make it, because they were "watching a movie." Uh huh, right.

"I thought Ben and Angela were coming," I said to Rosalie as I poured her another shot.

"She wasn't ready, so they're meeting us there." I nodded and looked behind me at the clock on the microwave. It was a little after ten, and I opened my mouth to say we should probably head out but was cut off by Rosalie, announcing that she and Emmett were doing one more shot before they left; Bella had quit after about three. Rosalie handed me her keys, and after putting the vodka back in the freezer, making sure we all had our ID's and Emmett had the room keys, we headed out.

Emmett and I joked about what happened the last time we went clubbing with Rosalie as we walked to the car, which earned us both slaps to the back of the head. Some random girl had decided it was a good idea to grind up on him from behind while Rosalie was dancing in front of him. Rose wasn't having that, though, and after not so tactfully telling the girl to get away from him to no avail, she grabbed the girls hair to throw her off of him. Unfortunately for the girl, the hair was some poorly glued on extensions that got thrown in her face after they were ripped out.

I would never forget that night as long as I lived.

When we reached the car, Emmett and Rosalie jumped in the back after I unlocked the doors, leaving Bella the front passenger seat. That was when the relaxation I'd felt from the shot began to dwindle. The semi-drunk fools in the back were loud and amusing as we drove towards the Whisper Lounge, but not amusing enough to make me forget who I was sitting next to. That weird feeling that I'd gotten when she walked into the tutoring room a few days before was in full force, and I scratched my skin through my shirt, trying to rid of it.

"Turn on the heat, it's cold!" Rosalie complained as we were stopped at a light. I reached for the heater with a smirk, not seeing that Bella had done the same and our fingers touched briefly, shocking the hell out of me. I twitched and jerked my hand back, looking over at her slowly; _bad_ idea. My eyes roamed from her thighs, which were slightly more exposed since she was sitting down, all the way up to her face, her expression mirroring what I was sure mine was.

"You shocked me," I said softly, swallowing hard.

"Sorry," she whispered back, her hand against her chest as she stared back at me. I turned my face and squeezed my eyes shut. Fuck me.

"Green light, moron!" I opened my eyes and glared at Rosalie in the rear view mirror before speeding off. At that point, the relaxation had _completely_ vanished.

We arrived after about 20 minutes or so. Luckily, there was plenty of parking, and not that long of a line. Rosalie and Bella changed shoes before we went to the door, and I turned away so as not to get tempted into trying to look up her skirt. We headed straight to the seating area and the girls claimed a booth as I went with Emmett to the bar so he could purchase some drinks. I told the bartender I was the designated driver, knowing that I could get at least a free bottled water in doing so. He one-upped that and gave me a Coke. I tipped him a few dollars and headed back to the booth with Emmett. Ben and Angela were at the table when we approached and I slapped Ben on the shoulder and winked at Angela. I'd seen Bella get up before we made it over to the booth, being led to the bar by some pedophilic creeper.

_I hope she's sober enough to notice if he slips GHB into her drink._

I slid in next to Ben as Rosalie got up to let Emmett slide in before sitting back down, and engaged in conversation with the group, sipping my Coke. Bella and the child molestor came back to the table not long after they'd left and she slid in next to me, leaving him to stand while doing a lousy job at attempting to be smooth. Bella jumped up and thanked him for the drink after she'd finished it, grabbed Rosalie's hand and dragged her towards the dance floor. The guy stayed standing next to the booth, watching them as they wandered off.

"So," he said, turning around to face us and sliding in next to me in Bella's place. I stared blankly at him, looked across the way at Emmett who was looking to me, then we both looked back at him. "Maudette seems pretty fantastic." I took a sip of my soda and stared at him in confusion; Maudette? Who the hell was—my eyes widened in realization and I snorted, covering my mouth as soda spewed onto the table in a small puddle in front of me. I erupted into laughter, grabbing the little napkin the bartender had given me with my drink and wiping under my chin and around my mouth before slamming my fist down onto the table.

"_Maudette_?" I finally choked out. "She told you her name is Maudette?" The guy looked as confused as I'd been a minute ago, looking between me and Emmett, whose shoulders were shaking in silent laughter as he finished off his beer.

"Yeah. Why, is that not her name?"

I looked over to Ben and Angela, who were also laughing, just in a much less conspicuous way and gave them a look that clearly said we needed to figure out a way to get rid of this guy. Angela sat up straighter and cleared her throat.

"It is now."

"What?" he asked.

"Well, legally it is."

"Legally? What do you mean?" he said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, Maudette is an assumed name. But it doesn't matter!" she said, waving him off.

"What does that mean?" I felt like smacking him across the head; what the fuck did he _think_ it meant? Did I need to go request a fucking dictionary from the bartender so this idiot could look up some definitions?

"It means it wasn't always her name," I said, giving him a dirty look. Fuck, he was stupid.

"Oh." We all nodded, clearly thinking that was enough to put him off, but apparently not. "Well what was, then?

"Paul," Angela blurted. I gave her a "what the fuck?" look and she cringed with a shrug.

"Paul? What?" The douche was clearly even more confused; this was getting exhausting.

"Yeah," Emmett said, picking up where Angela left off. "She had a little, uh, reconstructive surgery, if you know what I mean." He waved his hand around his lap area and clucked his tongue twice. "But no worries! She's fully healed and ready to go."

Dumb fuck excused himself about ten seconds later, and we all started snickering as we watched him walk away. Emmett spotted Rosalie and Bella on the side of the dance floor and said we should go join them, so we all stood up. Ben and I stated we wanted some water and walked over to the bar, leaning against it as we waited for the bartender to finish up with the other people there.

"So," Ben started. "You and Bella doin' okay?" I shrugged and scratched my eyebrow.

"Today. Her and Rose came into the store and she knocked a fucking display over," I chortled, shaking my head at the memory. "We talked a bit. If nothing else, at least she has decent taste in music."

"So things are on the mend then?" he asked, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I wouldn't say that," I said as the bartender asked us what we wanted. He remembered me and I asked for a water for us both, telling him Ben was also a designated driver. He handed them over wordlessly before going back to the crowd on the other side of the bar. "I don't really expect it to last past tonight, though," I continued, shrugging as I twisted the cap off my water and took a gulp.

"Well, well, well," a female voice said. Ben and I turned to face forward and I chuckled, throwing my head back. "I thought it was you."

"Adrian, this obsession has to stop," I said disapprovingly, though my eyes were playful. "I mean, now you're following me into clubs? What's next? Are you going to be behind the curtain when I step into my shower? Ooo, _please_ tell me that one's gonna happen."

"Shut up, you pervert," she said with a laugh as she smacked my arm. "What's up, Ben?"

"Hey, Adrian," he replied, giving her a wave and a slight nod.

"What the hell is taking so long? My hot ass girlfriend is going to get molested, and I don't feel like getting into a fight tonight," Emmett boomed as he walked over to me with Angela in tow, who stopped next to Ben.

"Then go protect your 'hot ass girlfriend'," I said mockingly with a smirk, taking another gulp of water before twisting the cap back on. He turned and noticed Adrian and his eyebrows rose, looking back and forth between her and me.

"Who's this?" he asked me, though he was still staring at her.

"Adrian," she answered, sticking her hand out. He shook it and looked back at me.

"Is this—"

"Yes," I said, cutting him off; like I needed her to know I talked about her. Psh.

"Huh. Okay," he said with a nod before turning back to her. "I'm Emmett." I rolled my eyes; what brilliant manners he had. I took a moment to look her over. She was wearing white and gold peep toe heels, tight jeans and a gold halter top—no bra, _nice—_and her hair was straight and sleek.

"See somethin' you like?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. I smirked and shrugged.

"Mmm. Well, since you've already followed me here, we might as well fuck and get it over with."

She laughed and grabbed the front of my shirt. "How about we just dance, first?"

I grinned and smacked my water bottle against Emmett's chest as she started walking backwards, pulling me with her towards the dance floor. She turned around and grabbed my hand, leading me to the less crowded left side before she stopped, looked over her shoulder and winked. I grabbed her hips and pulled her against me, smirking as she shrieked slightly before slamming her ass against my hips. She did it again, and again, and I thrust against her, and it was fucking amazing. All I could think about was how I wished she'd been wearing a fucking skirt, because I would have been down with voyeurism if she lacked the pants. We never faced each other; just grinded, and grinded, and grinded some more.

I noticed somebody drop to the floor in my peripherals and I removed myself from the situation for a split second to make sure the person got up okay. I looked over and saw Bella right next to me, slowly rising up as she ran her hands up her body simultaneously. My first thought was that she was a fucking klutz, and figures she'd be the one to fall on a dance floor; until I realized that she hadn't fallen at all, she'd just been dancing. That was when I noticed her throwing her arms around Rosalie's neck, and Rosalie's hands roaming Bella's body. I hadn't realized I'd pretty much stopped moving against Adrian or that I was staring so intensely at Bella until my hands slapped against my sides as they fell from Adrian's hips, and I noticed Bella staring back at me with smoldering eyes, her lips parted naturally but _oh_ so fucking sexily.

Before I could blink she'd stepped right in front of me, never breaking eye contact as she continued to dance. Her arm slinked around my waist and I tensed as I felt her hand pressed against my back; what the fuck was she trying to _do_ to me? I wanted to push her away, and most of all I wanted to not be as attracted to her as I was at that moment, but I couldn't even fucking _look_ away from her much less tell her to stop. If I was being honest with myself, I didn't really want her to. I sighed; I could dance with her, and I could be attracted to her—and fuck knows I was—but I _didn't_ have to like her. I didn't even have to communicate with her.

_Just dance with her, you jackass._

I relaxed and started moving my hips, still staring at her as I felt her inch closer. I wrapped my arm around her waist and bent my knees slightly, licking my lips. She straddled my thigh and rolled her hips against me. I groaned, gripping the fabric of her dress tightly as my hand clenched into a fist and pulled her even closer, and _fuck_, she smelled so fucking amazing.

Everything about the way Adrian and I danced was chalked full of unbridled lust; it was rough and lacked any sort of rhyme or rhythm. But the way Bella moved against me, and the way I responded was nothing short of sensual. When she circled her hips, I circled mine automatically; when she dipped down, I followed, and we just molded into each other. It was weird, and slightly disconcerting, but still a major fucking turn on. My entire body was on fire, every nerve ending on alert—especially the nerves in my pants. I knew she'd felt it; her jaw had practically dropped in astonishment before she grinned and resumed dancing against me. I didn't care, though. She was hot, and her crotch was constantly brushing against mine; what the fuck did she expect?

I couldn't have told you how long we were dancing, or stuck in that weird bubble we seemed to be enclosed in, but I somehow managed to hear last call from the DJ and snapped out of it. She seemed to as well as she looked around, looked up at me, then blushed furiously. I rolled my eyes; really? She wanted to be embarrassed _now_, when we weren't even doing anything?

"Um...I—I think I see them standing over there," she said, looking around me. I turned around and spotted Emmett and Rosalie talking animatedly to each other. I scratched the back of my neck and motioned towards them as I took a step back. She followed suit and we walked through the diminished crowd across the floor to where Em and Rose were.

"Oh, hey," Rosalie said with a bright smile. "Angela and Ben left a little while ago. They said to tell you guys bye. She also said she was staying at Ben's again tonight, Bella." I smirked; all hail the match maker. Bella nodded and smirked as well, folding her arms under her chest. My eyes zeroed in on the cleavage that little gesture made, and I groaned internally.

"You ready to go?" I asked, hoping they would be. I really needed to get the hell away from this girl before she killed me. That suddenly, for some reason, reminded me of Adrian and I cringed, remembering how I'd basically ditched her for somebody I wanted to punch in the ovaries twenty-four hours ago.

_Blame it on the testosterone._

They nodded eagerly, and we made our way towards the exit and out the door, getting hit by the chill of the night.

"God, my feet are killing me," Bella mumbled, walking with a slight limp.

"Mine too. Carry me, monkey man," Rosalie teased, wrapping her arms around Emmett's neck from the back and jumping up. He laughed and caught her effortlessly, hoisting her up higher.

"Okay," he said, stopping momentarily and turning towards Bella. "Your turn." She didn't have time to ask him what he was talking about before he picked her up from under her arms, then wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her against his chest. She shrieked and he laughed. "Edward, turn around and carry her."

"What?!" I exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Turn around," he started slowly, "and _carry her_. On your back."

"No, Emmett, put me down! God _dammit_," she yelled, wiggling against his grip. I rolled my eyes and huffed before turning around, motioning her towards me. "Come on."

"What? No! I—"

"Just get _on_, Bella." There was a brief pause before I felt her arms hook around my neck and her legs on either side of me. I grasped her under her knees—ugh, her legs were _really_ fucking smooth—and hitched her up as Emmett did to Rosalie, and her hands moved lower, one grasping her wrist and resting against my chest. Emmett turned around and started walking towards where we parked and I followed silently.

"I'm sorry," she said into my ear. I shut my eyes and shivered slightly, swallowing hard.

"Not a big deal," I replied. The fuck it wasn't. All I could think about was her already tiny skirt being hiked up, right underneath her ass, possibly showing a sliver of her underwear. What if she was wearing the thong?! I faltered in my steps for a second as the mental image passed through my brain.

"Am I too heavy? I can walk the rest of the way if—"

"Please," I snorted, "you weigh practically nothing. I just got, ah...distracted...for a minute," I said, shaking my head. We crossed the street to the parking lot and put the girls down on the passenger side as we approached the car. I dug the keys out of my pocket and pressed the button to unlock the door, opening it for them before I went around the other side, waiting for Emmett to climb in before I pushed the seat back and got in. I stuck the key in the ignition, turning the knob for the heat all the way up before I even started the car so that no more electric shock in the fingers would happen, and roared the engine to life. I reversed, then pulled forward and out of the parking lot, starting down Florida Street and turning left onto 18th. I followed the signs that pointed me to the 101 South for about a mile before merging onto it.

I snuck a subtle glance at Bella; she was staring out the window, bouncing her left knee up and down at an alarming rate. I had half a mind to put my hand on her knee to stop it; it was making me really fucking nervous.

"I say we go back to the dorm and drink more," Rosalie said, breaking the silence. Emmett agreed and Bella shrugged indifferently. _Fuck_. I was never going to get away from her and the succulent scent that was permeating the air of the car due to the heater. I croaked out an "okay" and merged onto the 280 South, riding it for a few miles before getting off at the San Jose Avenue exit. I turned right on Sagamore and began the short drive to Lake Merced Boulevard, all the way down until we reached the light at State Drive. I turned right and drove slowly down the short driveway that led into the parking garage. I parked near one of the pay stations and shut off the car, jumping out and pulling the seat forward so Emmett could get out. I went and put in a $5 bill and the machine dispensed an all day pass. I went back to the car and put it in the windshield, locked up the car and turned to the small group.

"What?" I asked uncomfortable, seeing a different reaction on each of their faces; Emmett was beaming, Bella was surprised, and Rosalie was...well, I wasn't quite sure. I'd never seen that look on her face.

"You paid for my parking," she said softly.

"Yeah," I replied, looking oddly between the three of them.

"That was so sweet." Ah, _tender_. That was the look. I grunted in response, slightly embarrassed, and started walking out of the garage towards steps leading up to the basement elevator in Towers. Jesus, was it that hard to believe that I could be considerate? I pulled out my ID card and swiped it as we approached the automatic doors—Rose and Bella had apparently changed into their other shoes while I paid for the pass so we made it to the doors much faster—and walked inside as they opened, pressing the elevator button. We all filed in and rode it up to the 13th floor, walked down the hall to our room and, after Emmett unlocked the door, walked in.

The kitchen light was still on, and I turned to the left as the other three went to the right, throwing their things down on the nearest table. Jasper's door was still open, and he was still very much gone. I walked back down the hall and leaned on the wall next to the kitchen as Emmett was pulling the vodka out of the freezer again.

"He better not be fucking my sister," he said with a grunt as he poured all four of us a shot. Thank _god_, I could drink now. "I'll beat his ass, and then I'll kick hers for giving it up so quickly." Rosalie snorted as she and Bella picked up their shot glasses, clinked them together and threw them back.

"What a hypocrite _you_'d be. Or do you just not remember the ending to our first date?"

"Well...that's different," he mumbled as he handed me my shot. We raised ours to each other before knocking them back as well.

"Yeah, you're right. Jasper didn't try to kick your ass."

"Like he could have," Emmett countered.

"Technicalities."

We took a few more shots before Emmett exclaimed he had to grab something, and ran back into the room. Rosalie looked at me and I shrugged; I had no idea what the hell he was doing. He emerged a few minutes later with a CD held tightly against his chest and a huge grin on his face. He knelt down in front of the DVD player and waited for it to open before cracking open the case and placing the CD on the tray. He pushed it closed and put the case face down on top of the DVD player as we all waited to hear what he was so anxious about.

_Yo, listen up here's a story, about a little guy that lives in a blue world..._

"Oh my _god,_" I groaned, burying my hands in my face as I started laughing loudly. "What the fuck, Emmett?" I looked up and he was bouncing his torso to the beat. He started doing the running man way too fast when the chorus came up, followed by the crazy white boy dance, but it didn't last long before he lost his balance and stumbled to the side. I doubled over, laughing so hard my entire body was cramping, and I was having trouble catching a breath.

"What the hell _was_ that!?" I heard being yelled through laughter.

"Me and Edward made up a routine to this song for our 5th grade talent show. That was just the beginning of all the awesomeness. We totally kicked everybody's ass," he said, slumping down onto one of the armchairs.

"I don't ever remember that song," Bella said.

"That was a hit, back when techno was the cool thing to listen to. You don't remember?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure I'll never forget it now," she snorted.

"Does your mom still have that on tape?" I asked, wiping under my eyes as I chuckled lightly.

"Damn straight," he replied with a grin.

"Oh man," I sighed. "I need another shot."

We spent the next hour or so listening to all the crap techno songs on the CD he brought out while still taking shots, wondering how the hell we, much less _anybody_, thought it could even constitute as music. I got up to go to the bathroom, but when I came back, Bella was the only one there. I frowned in confusion.

"They went to _bed_," she slurred, covering her mouth as she giggled. I groaned and banged my head against the wall—bad idea when you're _really_ buzzing; it made me slightly disoriented for a moment.

"Looks like it's the couch for me," I mumbled, walking over to the DVD player and turning it off. I walked into the kitchen and put the vodka in the freezer, stuck the shot glasses in the sink and wiped off the counters. I figured I might as well wash the shot glasses and the few dishes in the sink, which turned into wiping down the stove, and the island, and sorting out the silverware in the drawer.

"What are you _doing_?" I spun around in alarm and saw Bella standing right in front of me, staring at me in amusement.

"I, uh...I sometimes tend to clean when I drink," I admitted with a lazy smile. All the movement I'd made combined with the brilliant head butting with the wall made me go from buzzed to drunk.

"That's odd," she laughed, biting her bottom lip. I leaned against the sink and gripped it with my fingers; oh no, she could _not_ start doing that to me again. I couldn't say anything. I just stared at her, gulping as she looked up at me through her eyelashes. "We should go to bed..."

My eyes bugged out of my head. "W—I mean, we sh—I c—w_hat_?" I sputtered. Her eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip again.

_Stop that! For the love of all that is holy..._

"I mean, I should go to bed. And you should go to bed...not..." she rambled, waving her hands around in her drunken state as she trailed off. "I need to go home." She turned around and ran into the wall, making a surprised noise and muttering something about it not being there before and walking into the living room, grabbing her purse as she slipped on her flip flops. She turned around as I stared after her blankly, gave a small wave and started towards the door.

"Wait!" I said, finally getting my feet to move. "You can't walk home alone."

"It's just down the street," she shrugged, leaning against the door.

"It's..." I paused, leaning back to look at the clock on the microwave. "It's 3 in the morning. I'll walk you back."

"No, I'll be okay," she insisted, nodding profusely as she pulled the door open.

"Will you stop being so fucking stubborn and let me walk you home?" I growled in frustration. "I was raised right, dammit." She narrowed her eyes and huffed.

"Fine," she relented.

"_Thank_ you. Jesus wept," I breathed out. I grabbed Emmett's keys off the side table next to the couch and stepped over to the door, holding it open for her to walk through. "Don't fuck on my bed!" I shouted towards the room before following her down the hallway and letting the door slam shut. She approached the elevators before I did and pressed the button, opening one right away. I walked into the shaft and stood in silence as the doors closed and we made our way down to the lobby quickly. I followed her out and towards the front desk. The lady behind it eyed us and scowled at an oblivious Bella. I rolled my eyes; jealousy was a very ugly thing. We walked out of the doors and were met, not for the first time that night, with a chilly breeze. She shivered and rubbed her arms up and down quickly, speeding up her strides. I matched them easily and shoved my hands into my pockets, staring at the sidewalk. I looked both ways before we cut across the two lanes and concrete divider, hopping onto the sidewalk. She giggled quietly and I looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing really," she replied, her voice slightly quivering from the cold. "I just thought the cold was supposed to sober you up, and I feel even more drunk than before." I laughed softly as we neared a small hut-like parking garage. A police cruiser sat in the exit, facing us. The officer was reading a newspaper, but lowered it as we approached. I waved and he waved back before returning to his reading as we rounded the corner.

"Gotta love the police here," I said with a smirk.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," I replied, shaking my head. We crossed the street again and made our way hurriedly down the sidewalk, turning to the right at the end and walking down the other path leading to the front of the apartment complex. I climbed the steps after her, blowing on my hands as she typed in a code, and the lock on the door clicked. I pulled it open and held it for her, following behind her through the short lobby. She turned to the left at the elevators and started up a few steps, but tripped on the edge of one. I leaped forward and caught her around the waist right before she face-planted onto the carpet, then straightened her up.

"See?" I said as she carefully made her way up the last one and down the small corridor. "You might have broken your nose, or knocked yourself out if I hadn't have been here." She snorted and approached a door, attempting to shove her key into the lock a few times before finally getting it in and opening the door.

"Do you wanna come in?" she asked, turning around to face me.

_Just say NO. Don't do it!_

"Okay," I replied. Just to make sure she got into bed safely, I reasoned. She held the door open and I stepped inside, looking around. The first thing I noticed was the fact that the living room was fucking _huge_.

"Kitchen," she said, pointing directly to the left, "living room," she added as we walked further inside. She threw her purse and keys down on a glass desk and slid off her shoes before walking towards the hall. I followed behind, nervously tapping my fingers against my thighs.

We entered the hall briefly before she turned to the left and pushed too hard on a door, stumbling a bit as it opened and she fell through. I readied myself to catch her again but she straightened herself out; this girl was a magnet for disaster. She flicked on a switch that made a small, but bright lamp light everything up.

"My room," she said, finally. I nodded, pretending to look around even though I wasn't absorbing anything. There could have been a fucking tiger in the room and I wouldn't have noticed. All I was trying to do was get my testosterone-infested brain off the fact that she was hot, we were alone, and she might still possibly be wearing that lace thong.

"Cool," I croaked. Oh, real smooth. I looked down at her just in time to see her turn around, cross her arms across her stomach and pull off her dress, throwing it to the ground; she wasn't wearing a bra.

My balls practically rose up to my ears as my dick hardened, a large portion of my brain chanting "turn her around! Turn her around!" while the small, logical part was telling _me_ to turn around. I chanced a glance at her underwear and—oh _fuck. _I whimpered softly as I took in her entire backside. She wasn't wearing the lacy thong, but black, see-through boy shorts, and her ass cheeks were peeking out slightly, curving perfectly over the back of her thighs. And she had those sexy dimples on her lower back, too. She started to turn towards me and I died a little inside as I clenched my jaw and turned my head away; as much as I hated my mother right now for it, she'd raised me to be a gentleman, and gentlemen didn't look at girls who were stripping in front of them when they were drunk, kind of hated you, and would probably regret it the next day.

"Edward, look at me."

"No," I blurted loudly, shaking my head vehemently. "No." I started unbuttoning my shirt hastily with clumsy fingers, cursing as I continuously fumbled. I finally got them all undone and shrugged it off, holding it out in front of my face. "Take it. Put it on, please."

"What if I don't want to?"

"_Please, _Bella," I begged, hoping she could hear the desperation in my voice. It was silent for a moment before I felt the shirt being tugged from my hands.

"Well let go of it if you want me to put it on," she snapped. I released my hands instantly, flexing my fingers. I hadn't realized what a death grip I had on the damn thing. A few torturous moments passed before she said, "Okay."

I peeked hesitantly at her from the corner of my eye and she was covered up, so I breathed out a sigh of relief as I turned towards her. That relief was short-lived, however, as I realized she looked even _sexier_ with my shirt hanging on her, ending higher on her thighs than her dress did. I scrunched up my face in pain; what the hell had I done to deserve this torment?

"Are you gay?" she demanded.

"What? No!" I yelled incredulously. "Why would you even say that?"

"Well what the hell is your problem, then? You're about the only guy I've ever met who refused to look at a half-naked girl standing right in front of them. Did it even _affect_ you?!" I stared at her, mouth agape, as she stood with her hands on her hips.

"D—I—w—_hello_!" I shrieked, gesturing to my lower half, which was still straining painfully against my jeans. "I told you, I was raised right. That doesn't mean it didn't take every ounce of self-control I could muster up to keep myself from looking. Jesus. Am I gay...what the hell kind of question is that?" I muttered. Stupid girl. Well, I guess that squashed any suspicions that _she_ was gay.

"So do something about it then," she shrugged, stepping towards me with a drunken, yet very seductive smirk. I clenched my jaw again and squeezed my eyes shut. How the hell was I _not_ sobering up?

"No."

"Yes. I want you."

_Please shoot me dead._

"_No_."

"Why? 'Cos you don't _do_ Bipolar?" she slurred, resting her chin on my chest and tilting her head back to look up at me as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

"No...actually, I _have_ done Bipolar. It was a very odd experience..." I trailed off thoughtfully, trying to ignore the position we were in. "But that's not why. No, because you're _drunk_."

"So are you."

"Not as drunk as you, apparently."

"Oh, so you'd have to be completely smashed to have sex with me?"

"What? No! That's not what I said, you—you're twisting my words around! It doesn't matter. Come on, get into bed," I said, pushing her back and away with all the willpower I had. She sighed and gave in, allowing me to push her towards her bed, positioned on the right side against the wall. I pulled down her covers and she climbed in, scooting all the way against the wall. "Okay, good night," I said, turning around to leave.

"No!" I turned my head back to look at her and raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"No. Lay with me," she said, patting the bed roughly. I blinked a few times, trying to register what she'd just said. She slammed her hand down hard on the bed and shot upright, scowling. "Lay down with me!"

"Okay, okay. Jeez," I mumbled, walking over to her bed. I toed off my shoes and slid into bed next to her on my back, stiff and careful. She didn't spare a second thought before leaning over to turn the lamp off, grabbing the covers and snuggling up to me, resting her head on my shoulder and her hand on my chest. She sighed against my neck and I shivered, relaxing instantly.

I stayed in that position, looking around her room to take in what I could from the illumination the moon gave off. Her bed was to the right of the window, with a night stand to her left directly underneath it. Her dresser was on the left side of the window, wedged in the corner of the wall her computer desk was against, a closed lap top resting on it. She had some pictures on both the dresser and desk, but obviously nothing I could make out. A full-length mirror hung on the sliver of wall to the right of her closet, and glow in the dark stars covered both of the sliding doors.

I looked down at her, studied her breathing and figured she was probably passed out. I tried to scoot over as gently as I could, put she pressed her arm against my chest and moved with me every time I even shifted an inch. I sighed and scooted back over, lifting my arm carefully and resting it behind her back. I'd obviously have to wait until she was in a very deep stage of sleep to leave, but until then, I'd just have to relax, and.....

I was startled by a bloodcurdling scream. So startled, in fact, that I fell off the side of the bed and hit my head on a desk.

"Ugh," I moaned, rubbing my head. Hangover plus head trauma; what a perfect way to start the morning.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

I blinked a few times in an attempt to adjust to the light in the room before looking up through squinted eyes. I was met with a crazy-eyed Bella, whose hair was sticking up in every direction.

Bella? What the—oh _shit._ I fucking fell asleep.

"Oh no," I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my face. Could this morning get any worse?

"Why am I wearing your shirt? What did you do to me?" she demanded, clambering off the bed and stomping over to me.

"_Me_?! I didn't do anything but try to get your ass home safe!" I exclaimed incredulously. I tried to do something _nice_, and what did I get in return? A very unwelcome wake-up call, a splitting headache, and rape accusations. Nice. "_You_, on the other hand, tried to fucking seduce me by stripping, and being the gentleman I am, I gave you my shirt to cover yourself! And then you accused me of being gay because I wouldn't fuck you while you were drunk!" I yelled, standing up to tower over her. It wasn't very hard to ignore the fact that she was still in my shirt, or that I had a raging morning wood; it would go away _real_ quick if she kept this shit up. She looked up at me and narrowed her eyes.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me."

_Aaaand there it went._

"You're such a bitch," I hissed, shoving my feet into my shoes. "I like you so much better when you're naked." I turned around and walked out her bedroom door.

"Don't you quote Ida Maria at me then walk away!" I could hear her stomping behind me as I strode towards the door. "Get back here!"

"Peace out. Keep the shirt." I threw open the door and let it slam behind me. I strode purposefully through the lobby towards the glass door, shoved it open and jogged down the steps, shielding the sun from my eyes with my hand.

What a fucking morning.

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Chapter End Notes: **Gasp! _What _a disaster. Muahaha. You know the drill: review, review, review! :D


	9. Chapter 9: Mama's & Ex's

**Chapter Notes**: Okay, y'all. I told you this chapter wouldn't be a long one, and it initially wasn't. However, I got really excited because I got a forum created for my story over at Twilighted by Yanxxx! That deserved a little bit more writing, so I added an extra 5 pages and made it into another double POV'd chapter. Which _means_ that you should all go over to the forum and thank her, because it was originally only 5 pages long. Thanks to everybody who reviewed chapter 8!

If you'd like the link to the forum, let me know and PM me with your e-mail address since URL's won't show up on here. I'll be active on there, and I'll be posting some teasers from future chapters each week. :)

On a completely different note, I just want to address something. I got a review on Friday that bashed my characters, and essentially said if their personalities were less of what they were, my story would be perfect. I allow anonymous reviews on my story, but this person was too much of a coward to even write their _name_. Since I couldn't reply directly, I'll do so here. So, lets see.

Putting aside the fact that I said in the beginning that the characters were OOC, nobody's holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY CHAPTERS. If you don't like my story or my characters, there's a simple solution: _**don't read it.**_ Sorry, but I'm not changing my characters because _you_ think they should be different. If you want your idea of a "perfect" story, then write it yourself, but don't waste your time writing a backhanded review like that, and don't waste mine by having me read it.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: What I own: A (short) rack of embarrassing late '90s/early '00s CDs.  
What I don't own: Twilight, and any of the characters associated with it.

* * *

Chapter Song: (Can't Get My) Head Around You – The Offspring

* * *

_-B-_

I was being pulled out of an incredibly deep sleep, and not willingly. I struggled to drown myself deeper into the peaceful darkness but to no avail, and I groaned as I regained consciousness. Oh, my god, my head was fucking _killing _me. I moved my right hand to the side of my face, rubbing it harshly before realizing that something didn't feel quite right. My head was resting on something warm and firm, and my leg was thrown over something with a rough material, my knee pressing against something rock hard. Although, whatever my face was buried against smelled fucking _divine_.

_What the fuck?_

My head throbbed again and I groaned, pressed my fingers into my eyes then opened them slowly. I was met with the most unequivocally glorious morning view. His head was tilted towards me and down, his forehead creased slightly and his lips pouty; his chest rising and falling with his shallow and even breaths as he slept. My first instinct was to reach out and run my fingertips over his mouth, thinking how cute he'd look as his lips twitched and his breath caught in his throat for a split second. My second instinct took over as my hand paused midair, and I screamed. _Loud_.

His eyes flew open and he fell off the bed, slamming into my bedside table as I sat up, still screaming, and covered myself with the blanket. I noticed the loose sleeve on my arm and looked down at myself, pulling on the button down I knew was most _definitely_ not mine, then looking back to Edward who was in a white t-shirt, jeans and socks and rubbing his head.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I screeched. Nothing was coming to mind at that moment, and I knew that if I sat down and tried to remember, I would, but I didn't feel like doing that right at this moment; I was more concerned about getting an immediate response as to why he was in my fucking bed, asleep with me. He looked at me in confusion before dropping his face into his hands and groaning. Okay, obviously _he_ knew what the hell was going on, but he wasn't telling _me_, which was pissing me the hell off.

"Why am I wearing your shirt? What did you do to me?" He looked up in shock as I scrambled across the bed to the floor and stomped over to him, placing my hands on my hips.

"_Me_?!" he bellowed. "I didn't do anything but try to get your ass home safe! _You_, on the other hand, tried to fucking seduce me by stripping, and being the gentleman I am, I gave you my shirt to cover yourself! And then you accused me of being gay because I wouldn't fuck you while you were drunk!" He stood up and was right in front of me, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

_Jesus. I stripped and it didn't do anything for him?_

I tried to push down my feelings of rejection and narrowed my eyes at him, clenching my jaw. "Well, it wouldn't surprise me."

_Ha! Take that, fuckass._

"You're such a bitch. I like you so much better when you're naked," he said, shoving his feet into his shoes before he walked out of my room. I gasped; so he _liked_ my naked body. I didn't take too much time to ponder over that before I scurried out of my room, watching his back as he walked towards the door.

"Don't you quote Ida Maria at me then walk away!" I exclaimed, shaking my index finger at him like he could see. "Get back here!"

"Peace out. Keep the shirt," he said coolly before storming out the front door. I flinched as it slammed shut and stared incredulously at it.

What. The. Fuck.

I ran over to one of the living room windows and stared out, watching his retreating form walk down the pathway with long strides. When he was out of sight I walked to the couch, perplexed, and plopped down on it, curling one of my legs under me and bending the other at the knee, pulling it to my chest. First things first; I needed to figure out what the hell happened last night that led to Edward fucking Cullen being in my bed when I woke up this morning.

I remembered going to the dorm and drinking; I'd felt pretty damn buzzed when we left for the club. I remembered being stuck with the passenger seat, and shocking him with my fingers—I absently rubbed my fingertips as I stared off into the blank TV screen.

I remembered the older guy, and him buying me a drink. Dancing with Rose, making fun of some of the people on the dance floor, seeing Edward dancing with some girl, dancing with Rose some more and—aw, _shit_.

I groaned and dropped my forehead to my knee, shaking my head.

Mistake number one: dancing with him.

What the hell was I thinking?

_That I was drunk, and he was fine as hell._

It gave my ego a little bit of a boost when I realized that, in dancing with him for God only knew how long, I diverted his attention from somebody else, who he'd seemingly been extremely into dancing with.

I remembered him carrying me to the car on his back when we left, and drinking some more when we got back. I remembered Emmett and Rosalie claiming they were going to bed, and me deciding I should go home as Edward went on a cleaning spree (I chuckled at that; who knew?). He insisted on taking me home, and followed me to my door. I'd invited him in, gave him the shortest fucking "tour" of the apartment one could give and walked straight towards the hall.

Mistakes number two and three: inviting him into my place, then leading him to my fucking bedroom.

From there, all the images of the night before flashed through my brain in fast forward, making me feel like a complete ass for not only being drunk and embarrassing myself beyond belief, but for going off on him this morning when, in fact, he _was _only trying to be a good guy. In my defense, though, nobody told him to follow me. He could have walked me to the complex entrance then left and all of it would have been avoided, so it wasn't all my fault!

"Well this is a fucking perfect way to start the day," I grunted, looking at the clock on the TV box; and it was only 9:45 AM. That couldn't have been a good omen.

I heard my phone go off and looked around, knowing the sound had come from the room I was in. I saw my purse laying haphazardly on the desk and got up to look for it. I rummaged through my purse for a few seconds before finding it, the screen still lit up with the notice that I had one new text message.

_**Have fun last night? ;)**_

I rolled my eyes and hit reply; fucking Rosalie. I needed to have a word or two with her ass.

_**Breakfast.**_

Phone in hand, I started towards the bathroom. I pulled my hair up into a sloppy ponytail, not even bothering to comb it, and washed my face thoroughly before brushing my teeth. My phone buzzed as I was wiping off my mouth, and after I'd hung the towel back on the rack I grabbed it, making my way across the hall to my room.

_**Be there in 10 minutes**_.

I threw the phone on my bed and went over to my dresser, pulling out a fresh pair of underwear and a bra, then bent down to one of the lower drawers and retrieved a pair of khaki shorts—from the amount of sun filtering through my window and the heat radiating in my room from it, I knew I wouldn't freeze my ass off by wearing them. I threw them on the bed as well and walked over to my closet, grabbing a white cami and my fitted light grey Volcom zip up hoodie and got ready.

I walked to the kitchen to rummage through the medicine cabinet for some Advil; I had a splitting headache, and I had a feeling it wasn't going to go away on it's own. I filled up a cup of water and threw the pills into my mouth, gulping down the entire cup of the much needed liquid then putting it in the sink. I heard a horn honk and walked over to the window in the kitchen, peeking out the blinds to see Rosalie's BMW stalled, with the top down. Figures. I walked around the corner into the living room and slipped on my flip flops from the night before, put on my sunglasses and grabbed my purse and keys before hurrying out the door, making sure it was locked as it closed as the horn continued to sound incessantly.

"Okay, okay," I grumbled, hurrying through the lobby to the glass door and down the steps.

"If it's any consolation," she said as I climbed into the front seat and closed the door, "you don't look anywhere near as bad as you probably feel." I smiled sarcastically at her cheeky grin and buckled my seat belt.

"Just drive."

"Mama's?" she asked, circling back around and driving to the end of the parking lot.

"Mama's," I agreed with a nod, not bothering to hold on for dear life when she stomped on the gas pedal as she turned left.

~º~º~

"So," she started. I rolled my eyes and handed my menu to the waiter, smiling my thanks as he walked away.

"So what?"

"Edward stormed into the dorm this morning, disheveled and minus one shirt." I picked up my coffee and took a long gulp, keeping my eyes downcast.

"Uh huh," I replied, setting my mug down and running my fingers along the rim.

"I wonder where he could have been?" she asked, though her tone was knowing, and smug, and I wanted to kick her in her perfect mouth. I looked up at her at glared.

"I don't know what the hell he told you, but I didn't have sex with him." She looked back at me, startled—_genuinely_ startled, and it confused the hell out of me.

"He didn't tell us anything."

"Right," I scoffed, taking another drink of my coffee. "Like I'm going to believe that."

"Bella," she said sternly, and I looked at her. "He didn't tell us _anything_. He didn't even tell us where he was all night. He went straight for the shower, got ready and left for work."

I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Then why—"

"I just sort of assumed after the way you two were acting last night..." she trailed off with raised eyebrows. I pursed my lips and frowned. "He's not like that, you know. He wouldn't lie about anything that happened."

I stared blankly at the table. Had I really been _that wrong_ about him, because he seemed like _exactly_ the type to do that. Then again, I hadn't exactly expected him to be a gentleman, and he was, at least in _some_ aspects. Why was Rose all of a sudden on his side, though? That still made no sense. I gave her a sideways glance. "Nothing happened," I said.

If you counted stripping as nothing, which at that moment, I did.

She shrugged and glanced around the restaurant, picking up her mug with both hands and taking a drink.

"What?" I defended. "_Nothing happened._"

"I'm not saying anything."

*

The rest of the day dragged on—not necessarily bad, but definitely not great, either. Angela came home a little after Rose dropped me off and grilled me for details immediately; she wasn't buying the whole "nothing happened" story I was sticking to, and I had a feeling that Rosalie had a lot to do with that. It wasn't in her nature to let things like that slide by unscathed, and I should have known better when she dropped it at the restaurant.

I told Angela about everything, from him walking me home last night to him _walking_ home this morning. Yes, even including the stripping fiasco. She squealed in delight, her hands cupping her mouth as she fell back against the couch.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked excitedly.

"What am I going to do? I'm going to pretend it never happened, that's what I'm going to do." Her face fell immediately and she frowned.

"You can't do that."

"The hell I can't," I argued, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No, you _can't_."

"Why not?"

"Because...there's obviously something between you two now."

"Hardly," I scoffed.

"Bella, give me a break. There was something there. That sort of thing doesn't happen out of nowhere."

"You're right, Ang. There _was _something there; it was called alcohol. A little liquid encouragement goes a long way."

"Exactly! Everybody's more honest when they're drunk!" she exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes. "_And _if there was really nothing, you wouldn't have _needed _a form of encouragement."

"Why are you pushing this? What is_ with_ everybody?"

"It...it doesn't matter!" she shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "You just can't...you can't blow this off as nothing."

"Yes I can."

And so it went on like that for about fifteen minutes before we both gave up in exasperation. We spent the rest of the day lounging around, laughing and watching TV while eating junk food before calling it a night around 9 PM—not before she reminded me that I had my tutoring session with Edward tomorrow, of course. As if I could forget.

I fell into bed, trying not to revel in the smell he'd left behind on my sheets and pillows, praying to God that the next day wouldn't be a total disaster before I fell asleep.

* * *

_-E-_

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed heavily as I hurriedly walked out of my Statistics class. As if it weren't bad enough that the fucking class started at 8 in the morning, I had to sit through it for two hours and forty-five fucking minutes (never take a math class once a week, _ever_) because he refused to let us go early. Now I only had fifteen minutes to get out the building and all the way to the other side of the school for my stupid Vampire class. I should have never let Emmett convince me to take it. Fuck Mondays up the ass; I hated them.

I hurried down the stairs and out the doors when I reached the first floor, squinting as the sun and wind hit my face. I pulled my phone out of my pocket as I started down the sloped concrete towards the quad area and looked at the time.

"Shit," I hissed, speeding up my strides as I shoved it back into my pocket. Make that _ten_ minutes I had left to get to class. It wasn't that the teacher necessarily cared—she spent the first five to ten minutes of class prepping so even when I _was_ late, I never missed anything—I just hated being late, period. It drove me absolutely crazy when I had a distinct schedule and something fucked with my ability to be punctual.

I was approaching Burk Hall when my phone started vibrating. I pulled it out and huffed, pressing the accept button.

"Where are you?" Jasper said quietly.

"Next to Burk Hall," I said, pushing myself to walk a little bit faster. I probably looked like a total dumbass.

"We had to go in or else we would have been late. Hurry up!"

"I'm hurrying!" I replied, slightly out of breath. I pulled the phone away from my ear, hit the end button and put it back in my pocket. I came out of the narrow pathway in front of SSB and turned to the left where the Humanities building was.

"Fuck it," I mumbled, and ran the rest of the way, down the steps and to the entrance. I whirled directly to the left towards the staircase and tried to skid to a stop, but I wasn't fast enough; I ran full force into somebody. Luckily, for me at least, they were way shorter than me and my chest got the brunt of the impact as I stumbled backwards. Unfortunately for me, whoever it was had a really fucking hard head. I heard a shriek and a thud and cringed, rubbing my chest as I regained my balance. I took a wild guess and decided it was a girl, and I'd knocked her down. I could put a whole new spin on the "Did it hurt?..." pick up line.

"Sorry," I started, "I'm running late and I didn't see—" I stopped as I looked down and saw _just _the person I wanted to see on this craptastic morning. We stared at each other in silence, me hunched over slightly and her on her ass with her knees bent in front of her and her hands on the floor behind her. I frowned and blinked a few times before clearing my throat and extending a hand out to her.

"Uh, I didn't see you," I said, looking everywhere but at her. She grasped my hand and I pulled her up, then jerked my hand back when I felt the shock again. "Dammit, you shocked me again," I growled, rubbing my palm up and down my pants leg.

"Well maybe if you hadn't have knocked my ass on the floor I wouldn't have had enough friction to shock you!" she snapped, pushing her way past me and knocking my arm in the process. I rolled my eyes at the back of her head; I barely felt like dealing with her shit today.

"You're welcome!" I shouted. "See you in a few hours, and thanks for making me even more late!" She stormed out of the doors and up the few steps onto the pavement. "Hag," I muttered, starting my way up the stairs.

I was beyond done with Bella and her fucking mood swings; I'd decided that as I walked from her apartment to the dorm yesterday. I mean, I knew girls were hormonal, but _fuck._ Was she constantly on her rag? She was just lucky she hadn't made me late to work yesterday—I was scheduled at 11, and when I'd stormed in I'd had just enough time to shower and dress quickly before heading out—because we would have had it out if that had have happened. There was no way I was letting her fuck with my head _and _my finances.

I made it up to the second floor and hurried down the hall, exhaling in relief as I walked through the door. Professor Hackenburg was seemingly finishing up whatever she'd been writing on the dry erase board, so I'd made it just in time. I made it up to the last row in a few long strides and shrugged off my backpack, throwing it on the floor before I plopped down in the open seat between Jasper and Emmett.

"Thank god," Jasper breathed out. "Dude, what the hell took you so long?" He leaned towards me as the Professor turned around and started talking.

"I had a minor, undesirable run-in," I replied lowly.

"He's been driving me crazy, man," he hissed, not bothering to make me elaborate. I couldn't complain about it. "He won't stop staring at me." I chuckled silently and bit my lip when Jasper turned to me with a glare; I couldn't help it.

When I'd returned from work yesterday I was met with complete silence. I'd figured Emmett was at Rosalie's and Jasper was...wherever he'd been all day Saturday, but when I walked into the living room I saw Jasper sitting on the couch, looking immensely uncomfortable, and Emmett in the arm chair, staring blankly at him, his arms folded across his chest and his lips pursed. I asked what the hell was going on, and Jasper shot up off the couch looking incredibly relieved, and grabbed my arm, dragging me down the hall and into his room before shutting his door.

"Ever since I walked in, he's just been _staring _at me," he'd said in desperation. "Everywhere I go, he's right behind me, just..._staring_! And when I look back at him, he just shakes his head at me, never saying anything, _just staring_. It's freaking me out!"

When we'd emerged from Jasper's room, true to what he'd said, Emmett was standing there, staring and shaking his head, his arms still crossed over his chest. Emmett would talk to me, but the second Jasper walked in he'd go silent immediately and resume (what I assumed he'd considered) his intimidating stance.

I sighed and turned my head to the left, seeing Emmett leaning forward in his desk just so he could stare at Jasper. I elbowed him as hard as I could in his side.

"Knock it off," I hissed with a frown, "or else Alice is going to come after you with something much worse than heels when she finds out you've been silently harassing her boyfriend." He scowled, but turned forward and leaned back in his seat. I rubbed my temples before running my hands down my face; it was never going to end.

*

After class I said goodbye as we all separated. I made my way back towards the dorms, deciding on lunch at Café in the Park, where most of my meals during the week came from. The chicken sandwiches were so fucking good, and my meal plan allotted me one, a drink, a bag of chips, and a cookie—the best fucking sugar cookies I'd ever eaten came from the school. Seriously, they were heaven.

I opted to eat inside since I had nowhere I needed to be for the next three hours. I took my time, propping my feet up on one of the empty seats at the table and watching one of the small TVs that was latched to the corner of the wall. People came in and out, only a few staying to relax as I was, or do homework, or visit with friends. I sighed and pulled out my phone, opening a new text message and typing.

_**You busy?**_

A few minutes passed with no reply before my phone started buzzing. I grinned and hit accept, putting the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Aw, you missin' me, Eddie?" she teased. I rolled my eyes and set my feet on the floor, gathering up my trash from the table with the phone wedged between my shoulder and my ear.

"Hey, you called _me._" I stood up and walked over to the trash can to dump everything.

"Because you texted me," she reasoned.

"And you couldn't have texted back? Just admit it; you wanted to hear my voice." I grinned and walked back to the table, put on my backpack, and walked towards the door, switching the phone to my other ear.

"Oh, yeah. You know what it does for me," she scoffed.

"Hey, it used to do a lot for you," I reminded her, wiggling my eyebrows as I walked out, though she couldn't see it.

"Touché," she said with a laugh. "So what's up? I haven't talked to you since...Jesus, has it really been since I saw you during Christmas break?" I raised my eyebrows and tried to think; surely it couldn't have been _that_ long.

"I'm not recalling any conversations since then off the top of my head," I said in surprise.

"Well, shit," she said softly. "How are things going, then?"

"They're alright," I said, nodding. "Busy. What about you, are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm doing all right. Busy, too."

The awkward silence that always happened in the beginning of conversations took over, and I shoved a hand in my pocket, walking down the path next to the day care center. I sighed and bit the inside of my cheek.

"I was just thinking about you and got a little nostalgic for a second," I admitted, kicking a rock across the pavement. "The tables where I was eating lunch looked exactly like the cafeteria tables at FH, and for a minute I saw us all back there. And then I had one of those moments where I realized that it still sort of feels weird to me; that Alice and Em are all here and you're not."

"I know what you mean," she said quietly. "I think about you guys all the time; about what we'd all be doing on weekends; what would have happened with _us..._" She trailed off and we both sighed.

"I know," I said, turning to the left and walking alongside the dorms.

"It's times like these when wish I was there."

"So do I, Tanya."

Tanya Hayes was my first love, and all of my firsts in the sexual department. Our fathers worked together at the hospital and became fast friends, so I'd known her and her little sister, Kate, from pretty much the time I moved to Forks. We were never super close; nowhere near the way that Alice and I were, but we were comfortable friends. When we got into high school we developed feelings for each other, and we started dating towards the end of our Freshman year. It progressed from there, and we fell in love. When it came time to apply for colleges, we realized that, while we both knew exactly where we wanted our lives to go, our goals were still very different. We both knew what that meant, so we just enjoyed the time we had left together before we graduated, and amicably parted ways when we left for college. We still got together when we were both home, and we still talked pretty regularly. I was so glad that we hadn't broken up on bad terms, because while I wasn't in love with her anymore and she wasn't in love with me, I still loved her—I gathered I probably always would; she was my first love, the _only _love I'd ever had—and I wouldn't know what to do with myself if she wasn't in my life.

"I should come visit soon. This Vegas life is crazy, and I need a little normalcy every once in a while."

"Then San Francisco is not the place to be, seriously," I laughed. "No, but you _should_ come and visit; it'd be a lot of fun to have you here."

I walked aimlessly around campus as we told each other stories of funny things that'd happened lately, and it was just like the old days. Before I knew it, it was time to go and face the fire-breathing dragon. She wished me luck before we hung up, and I trudged over to the elevator, suddenly not feeling energetic enough to tackle the six flights of stairs. I walked in with a small group of people and leaned against the railing in the corner; somebody had already pushed the button for the third floor. It stopped at the second floor first—normally that would annoy me, but at that moment I was okay with anything that prolonged no interaction with Bella—before slowly going up one more floor and stopping. I was the last person to walk out of the elevator and I made no effort to hurry to the room, but I still got there too quick. There was a different lady at the desk when I walked in, which didn't make me feel any better; at least I knew Angela could put Bella in her place if she started shit. I signed in and trudged across the hall and into the tutoring room, spotting Bella at the same desk as last week. I pursed my lips and walked towards her lazily, tossing my backpack onto an empty chair and plopping down in the chair beside it.

Did I mention that I _hated_ Mondays?

* * *

**Chapter End Notes**: Review and I may make the next chapter a little longer, pleeeease? :)


	10. Chapter 10: Busty & the Burro

**Chapter Notes: **

*****IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ!!!*****

My good friend Hannah (who writes _Now and Forever_ and _Just A Call Away_) and I have decided to come together and write a collaborative story. We'd been talking about it for quite some time but we finally buckled down and went through all the sordid details. So much so, in fact, that we've finished the first two chapters! We're both really fucking excited about it, and it's going to be great. With that said, we're looking for prospective beta's. She's put word out on her forum/author's notes and we've gotten quite a few replies, but we want a good, diverse pool to pick through, so if you're interested, let me know in a review or PM, and one of us will e-mail you an unedited test chapter for you to beta and send back to us.

Moving on! Thanks to all the lot who reviewed, and favorited my story/me you, and thanks to those who just read. I'm really glad you all are loving the story, because I'm loving writing it! This one is a few pages longer than the last chapter, and it's a little ridiculous haha. Enjoy!

Go visit and post on my forum at twilighted . net / forum / viewtopic . php ?f=44&t=3505

Minus all the spaces, of course. lol

**Disclaimer:** What I own: Lots of books I've already read, multiple times.  
What I do not own: New, unread books and any/all Twilight characters.

* * *

Chapter Song: Chop Chop – The Academy Is...

* * *

_-B-_

"Unggrrh," I moaned, running my hand sloppily across my face.

"Hear, hear," Rosalie agreed quietly. I chuckled and pressed my palms into my eyes before rubbing my face. We were in our Introduction to Critical Thinking class this _fine_ Monday morning, and minutes away from getting the hell out. That was assuming Professor Saloman ever finished assigning us all our debate subjects for the next class, of course. It wasn't necessarily that the class was boring—he was pretty cool, and made it as interesting as it possibly _could_ be. The work wasn't really hard, either. It was just too early to be analyzing nonsensical things.

"Miss Swan," he started, and I sat up straight and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "You'll be discussing gay marriage." I nodded; cool. If that didn't start a heated debate, I couldn't think of anything else that would. I looked at the clock again as I wrote my topic on the sheet he'd passed around for the guidelines of our discussion and saw that we only had one minute left of class. I straightened the scattered papers on my desk into a pile and shoved them inside my notebook before putting it in my binder.

"Miss Hale, you'll be discussing spanking." I stopped what I was doing and stared at him, slack-jawed.

"Ex_cuse_ me?" she asked incredulously. I covered my mouth and snorted loudly, biting my fingers to keep as quiet as possible as she snapped her head towards me and glared.

"Oh! Erm, _children. _Your views on spanking _children. _Although, something tells me the class wouldn't be averse to hearing you talk about the former, either." I stopped laughing at stared at him blankly, once again, blinking a few times.

"Uh huh," she said, eying him skeptically. "Thanks for clearing that up." He grinned and shook his head, chuckling lightly before moving on to the next person.

"Wow. _That_ was inappropriate," I said, shoving my binder and pen into my bag and zipping it up.

"I find myself troubled," she said bluntly. "I feel like this isn't the first time he's made a double-entendre like that." I shrugged and looked at the clock again. Great; we were four minutes _over, _and my next class started in...one minute.

"Ugh, just _finish _already," I groaned. Rose and I looked at each other and grinned.

"That's what she said," we said simultaneously, snickering softly.

"If I've given you your topics, you are free to go," the Professor said finally, and Rose and I shot up out of our seats, grabbing our bags and shrugging them on as we walked towards the door.

"Do you work tonight?" I asked, stopping behind the line of people shuffling out of the door.

"Yup. I'm in Towers. With LeeAnn." We both grimaced; LeeAnn was the ginger from hell. She always had a sour attitude with an equally sour face, no matter what. We all saw working with her as God's personal punishment for every wrong doing we'd ever done, tenfold.

"Bummer. Just stay in the back room, and lock the door."

"That's the plan," she said.

"Oh, uh, Miss Hale," Professor Saloman said anxiously right before we walked out the door. "Could you spare a moment? I need to speak with you about something."

"Um...okay," she said, looking hesitantly between me and him. I pursed my lips and walked backwards, raising one arm in front of me mid-air and swatting the other hand back and forth while humming "Smack That" by Akon. She took a step towards me and kicked roughly, narrowly missing my knee. I laughed loudly and yelled a quick goodbye before hastily making my way to the stairs. I was thankful that my next class was in Burk Hall, and that I wouldn't be but a few minutes late. I hopped down the stairs, chuckling at the image of Rosalie's face when the Professor asked her to stay after. She was an exemplary student; I couldn't imagine what he'd need to speak with her about, and apparently neither could she. Just the fact that she looked scared shitless about it was funny in and of itself, though. I hopped down the last few stairs and walked quickly out of the stairwell. Unfortunately, my clumsy ass got bounced right back in and onto the floor with a yelp and a thud.

_Dammit, and my tail bone _just_ stopped giving me problems!_

"Sorry," a male voice said as I sighed heavily and bent my knees, planting my hands and feet firmly on the ground to push myself up. "I'm running late and I didn't see—" I looked up to see why he'd stopped the apology and saw the face I'd been so tempted to run my fingers across a little over twenty-four hours ago frowning down at me.

_Well hello to you, too._

He cleared his throat and stuck his hand out. I stared at it in confusion; was I supposed to shake it? Was that his standard greeting for people he'd knocked down? I hesitantly stuck my hand in his and gripped it as he told me he hadn't seen me, but contrary to my initial thought, he started to pull me up. The same shock I'd felt when our fingers touched Saturday night came on full force, and I planted my feet as firmly as I could manage as the thought that he might let go and I'd fall again crossed my mind. He let go immediately after I was upright, though, and rubbed his hand up and down his pant leg with a grimace. Apparently, we were back in first grade, and he was hastily wiping off my cooties. Jackass.

"Dammit, you shocked me again," he complained. I stared at him, flabbergasted; was he fucking _kidding_ me? He ran to the stairwell like a bat out of hell, knocked me down, and then had the audacity to bitch about his hand getting shocked like he was the only one? What even made him so sure it was me? His probable lack of fabric softener sheets while drying his clothes very well could have been the cause.

"Well maybe if you hadn't have knocked my ass on the floor I wouldn't have had enough friction to shock you!" I yelled. Fuck it; I didn't have any more time to waste. He'd made me late enough, and already managed to fuck up what little good I'd had in my morning. I stomped towards the doors, shoving my shoulder into his arm as hard as I could when I passed and ignoring whatever the fuck he yelled out after me. I shoved open the doors and ran along the pavement and up the steps quickly, turning to the left and power walking down the path. I rounded the corner to the right and walked down the narrow pathway, turning to the right again when I reached the open space that led to the front of the building. I walked in the doors and straight down the hall, turning into the open door of my class when I approached it.

Professor Empleo glanced at me curiously before turning her attention back to a student and asking a silent question as I slid into an empty seat. The student replied silently as well and I unzipped my bag, cringing at the noise; it was always so fucking _quiet_ in the room. I felt self-conscious even breathing, and often found myself trying to inhale slowly so I made no sound at all. I grabbed my book out of my bag and placed it on the table before looking up to see her looking straight at me with raised eyebrows.

_B-e-l-l-a_, she signed quickly, _how are you today?_

Well, that was simple enough to answer.

_I am a-n-n-o-y-e-d_, I signed back, slowly and deliberately.

Ten minutes into class, my phone started vibrating. I fished it out and looked at the screen, frowning in confusion. Rosalie was calling me, and I couldn't understand why since she knew I was in class. I sighed and slid out of my desk, making my way towards the door and into the hallway as quietly as I could before answering.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately, walking further away from the door towards the front of the building.

"I just...I'm speechless. Absolutely speechless. I don't even know what to say right now."

"That's generally what speechless means, asshole. Why the hell are you calling me when you know I'm in class? _Sign_ _language _class at that."

"I—I can't believe it, Bella."

"Believe my foot in your ass if you don't hurry the fuck up and tell me what's going on," I snapped. I was starting to get worried; Rose was rarely rendered speechless, but when she was, it was pretty serious.

"He asked me if I'd be interested in giving him a..._private demonstration_ of my views on spanking."

I immediately shoved my fist into my mouth and bit down. After I was positive that I would be able to speak coherently without laughing, I removed it and exhaled slowly.

"And what did you say to him, Rosalie?"

"I didn't; I _couldn't_. I stood there for a little while, replaying it in my brain to figure out if maybe I'd just misheard him, or I'd missed something, but I hadn't. I was completely floored, and just turned around and walked out."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I howled in laughter, leaning against one of the walls for support and slapping it.

"It's not fucking funny, Bella!"

"The fuck it isn't!" I shouted, gasping for breath. "Hey, at least he's cute! _And_ you can put all that dominatrix shit to good use, if you haven't already." The visual that popped into my brain of Rose in her leather corset and underwear with a leather paddle as Profressor Saloman was bent over his office desk, pants around his ankles and grinning like a mad man made me laugh harder.

"You sound like a cackling witch, and I hope you rot in hell you _fuck_!" She promptly hung up the phone, which was even funnier. I spent the following five minutes trying to calm myself down before walking back to the classroom. Everybody was staring at me oddly, and on a normal basis it would have made me paranoid and embarrassed, but I figured I probably had a crazy smile on my face so I didn't think too much of it. I chuckled softly, running my fingers under my eyes to wipe the tears as my teacher asked if I was alright (in sign language, of course). I nodded, signed back that I was fine and took my seat. I had to excuse myself about three times in the duration of the class because I'd get another mental image and be unable to control my laughter. I was fairly certain nobody would ever try to communicate with me in that class again.

~º~º~

I sat at my favorite table _alone_, eating the ravioli I'd purchased from Café Rosso. Rose wasn't replying to my texts, but I figured she'd get over it. I knew it wasn't an ideal situation, getting hit on by one of your Professors—well, it may have been _some_ peoples' ideal situation, but not Rosalie's—but she had to acknowledge the humor at some point. Apparently, though, that time was not now. I dipped my sourdough bread in the sauce and tore off a piece with my teeth, leaning back in my chair and crossing my legs as I watched the people scatter hurriedly in all directions. Ah, the bustle of San Francisco; even caffeine breaks were rushed, as the guy running from the condiments counter towards the narrow pathway leading into the center of campus while trying to carefully drink his coffee demonstrated.

Speaking of spazzy men; I dug my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my contacts for the shop number before hitting send.

"La Push Auto Repair, Spunking Sam at your service."

"Hey Spunk, this is Busty. Can you put Joy knob on the phone real quick?"

"Sure thing, Busty."

Sam Uley was the owner of La Push Auto Repair. He was just a few years older than the lot of us, but he grew up infatuated with the mechanics of cars, bikes, and basically anything with a motor, so it was only natural that he opened up his own shop. He taught Jake and all of his friends what they know, and hired them all on once they turned 18.

Being around boys most of your adolescence, and having them as your closest friends nonetheless, could and definitely _would _irrevocably alter an otherwise normal girl's brain. So it had only seemed natural one summer night to come up with sexually suggestive nicknames for each other—Joy knob Jake, Spunking Sam, Eat-at-the-Y Embry, Pound-it Paul, and Busty Bella—and we'd used them in reference to each other every time the group was together. Of course there were times, such as now, when they referred to themselves as their nicknames for absolutely no reason, which confused the hell out of normal, unsuspecting customers who were calling. Boys would be boys, though, and I figured since most of the people that called into the shop knew them already, it didn't really matter.

I heard the click of the phone being set down before a faint exclamation of "Busty!" and a shuffling sound, signaling the phone being picked up again.

"Busty, this is Eat-At-The-Y."

"Sup, Eaty? Still no luck finding an alternate name, I hear. Such a shame," I said, clucking my tongue.

"Yeah, I know. Minus the abbreviation, I actually think it's quite fitting, don't yo—hey!"

"Go think up a new name, dumb shit," I heard from a muffled voice before a clearer, "This is Joy knob," flowed through the speaker.

"Have you Western Unioned me the money for your ticket?"

"Ah...eeeyeea—no, no I have not."

"Dammit, Jake. We need to get this shit taken care of!"

"We will, we will. Calm down, jeez," he muttered.

"No, we _really _need to get it taken care of. Like, yesterday. Air fare is only going to go up from here. Time is not rewinding."

"It's just hard," he whined. "I'm at work from 7 in the morning to 6 at night, and all I want to do is eat and go to bed after."

"It's a fifteen minute drive to the thrifty mart. It's not that serious," I said, rolling my eyes and stabbing two stuck together raviolis with my fork before stuffing them in my mouth.

"Yeah, fifteen minutes out of the way. And the next nearest one is in Taholah, and there's no way I'm driving all the way there."

"Gazzamih, Zay, I fugrin sol yo—"

"Huh?"

I'd forgotten I had food in my mouth, and while I was attempting to unleash my wrath I saw bits of ravioli shoot out of my mouth about five feet, which caused me to laugh because it was incredibly funny. That, of course, was not a good idea since my mouth was still full, and when I tried to take a breath, little bits of ravioli went down the wrong tube. I started choking, spewing more ravioli out of my mouth while still laughing simultaneously.

"Bella, what the fuck? Are you okay? Do I need to call 911? Answer me!"

I managed to cough out a coherent "wait" before putting the phone down and starting another coughing fit. Once it was over and all the ravioli particles were gone from my mouth, I took a deep breath and picked up the phone again.

"Okay. I forgot I had food in my mouth when I was trying to yell at you, and I started laughing at myself when I saw particles flying through the air which caused me to choke, but I'm okay now. Although I'm not going to look up to see the reaction on everybody's faces around me, because I don't think I want to know."

Silence.

I could hear crickets chirping in the distance.

I heard the 27, picking up and dropping off, ¼ mile away.

Finally, he sighed.

"Only you, Bella."

"That's irrelevant to the original discussion! You have no choice in the matter any more. You're either going to the thrifty mart tonight after work and sending me money, or you're going to go home, sit your ass down at the computer and call me so that we can book the flights simultaneously. I don't care which you do, but either way, _my_ flight is getting booked tonight, got that? I am not going to wait until the last minute to book because your ass is lagging, and get stuck with some hairy-everywhere-but-on-his-head pervert who's trying to cop a feel the entire flight to my right, and a huge fucking dog sleeping and drooling on my shoulder to my left, Jacob."

"Dog? What dog? Do you even know what you're talking about anymore?"

"You! You're the dog you fucking...fuck!" I yelled. "And no, I don't, but you're pissing me off so I'm going to keep yelling at you!"

He chuckled softly and exhaled deeply. "You crazy girl. I miss the hell out of you."

"I miss you, too, which is why you need to fucking hurry up! The whole reason you're booking one way flights is so that we can book the return flight and get seats next to each other."

"And it's cheaper," he added. I heard a ding from his end of the phone and sighed, knowing what that meant. "Bells, I gotta—"

"Go," I finished. "Yeah, yeah. Just remember what I fucking said. I'm getting' it tonight, with or without you."

We paused, and a huge grin spread across my face, knowing he was thinking what I was thinking.

"That's what she said!" we both shouted.

"I love you, B," he said through chuckles.

"I love you, too, J." He snickered and I rolled my eyes before hanging up, shaking my head with a smirk.

I speared a ravioli and shoved it into my mouth, carefully chewing and making sure not to talk while eating. I finished them off and drenched my sourdough in the excess sauce before finishing that off too and dumping my trash. I checked the time on my phone; it was barely 1 PM. I still had another hour left before my first tutoring session began. I stared at it for a few minutes before deciding to call my mom. Since she taught the morning kindergarten classes, I figured she'd be out of work already. If not, no harm, no foul. Just sheer boredom. I dialed the number quickly and hit send, putting the phone to my ear and waiting to hear the obnoxious ringing. I was quite startled when that was _not_, in fact, what I heard.

"Bella!" she exclaimed as she answered.

"Mom, what the hell is on your ringback tone?"

"Oh! You don't know it? I heard it on the radio and I like it! It's by that Soldier Boy," she said cheerily.

I snorted and rubbed my forehead with my fingertips. "Soulja Boy, mom."

"That's what I said, Soldier Boy. Although, I don't know what he means when he says 'superman that ho'. Do you?" she asked.

"You don't want to know, mom. It's...don't worry about it. It's nothing Phil will ever do to you, just know that, at least."

"Whatever you say, dear. So how are things? How's school and work going? I don't hear from you nearly enough."

"I know. I'm just so busy," I said with a sigh.

"Too busy to call the woman who spent 73 hours in labor with you, and _still_ mustered up the energy to bring you into this world?"

"You had no choice in the matter. Don't pull that card with me, I didn't knock you up," I chuckled. "And it goes both ways, mom! You can call me, you know."

"I don't know where my phone is most of the time. It's a miracle I even found it right when you called."

"Oh, mom. I miss you."

"I miss you, sweetie. Have you booked your flight for Spring Break?"

I cringed; _shit_. I _knew_ I forgot to tell somebody important about my plans.

"Um...not yet. I'm doing that tonight, but mom, I—"

"Oh, good. You don't want to wait too long, because then the prices will be too high."

"Yeah, I know. Listen, though. I decided to g—"

"Ooh! And the weather has been so nice lately. Maybe it'll stay this way, just for you!"

"That's great, mom, but I'm not c—"

"We can go swimsuit shopping, too! Oh, I'm so excited now."

"Renee!" I shouted.

"What, Bella? Jeez," she said in a disapproving tone.

"I'm not coming home for Spring Break."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm _not coming home_, to _Phoenix_, for _Spring Break_," I repeated slowly.

"I don't understand," she said. "Where else on God's green earth would you go? Oh, no. You're not going to Mexico, are you? Bella, people get stolen there. Pretty young girls like you should not be going off to foreign countries alone. They'll make you do horrible things to donkeys, Bella! Unspeakable, vile things. Oh, no, baby, you have to cancel!"

I sat there staring forward, dumbstruck.

"I..." I was speechless. Where the _fuck_ did she come up with this shit?

"Bella? Honey, say something!"

"Mom, I'm...I'm not going to Mexico."

"Oh, thank god," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "That's a mother's worst nightmare. Wait, so then where _are_ you going?"

"I'm going to Forks. In the state of Washington, still within the continental U.S."

"Forks? Why the hell would you go to _Forks_?" she asked, clearly appalled at the idea.

"Well, lets see. My father lives there, I haven't seen him in two years, and my best friend lives about fifteen minutes from there, and I haven't seen _him_ in about a year."

"But...it's so..._wet_ there. And boring. How did Charlie conn you into going? I'll get you out of it, baby," she said, determined.

"Give me a break, mom. I called him and asked if I could come. I don't think it'll be so bad this time around. It's safe. Just think of it that way."

"I don't understand why you'd willingly go to that place. It's absolutely dreadful," she said, disdain lacing her voice. "Oh, wait—Bella, I'm going to have to call you back, the school is calling me."

"I have to go to work, mom. I'll just talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, baby. I love you."

"Love you too, mom. Take care."

I hung up the phone and stood up, grabbed my bag and shrugged on the straps. Time for the inferno.

~º~º~

I smiled and waved at Alex, my Algebra tutee, as he walked away from the table. I gathered the two schedules he'd signed and stuck them in the folder with all the other students', put away the notes, and started preparing for the Statistics session I'd be having in ten minutes. Angela wasn't working today, otherwise I'd have been across the hall talking with her in an attempt to calm my nerves and distract myself from thinking about what I knew needed to be done. Somehow, I just couldn't see how trying to strike casual conversation with introverted Jennifer would benefit me in any way. If anything, it'd probably make me even more anxious than I already was.

I'd had a lot of time to think about Edward's and my situation from the walk up to HSS until presently, and I'd come to the conclusion that I had a lot of explaining to do. I didn't know if he still cared enough to hear me out, or if he ever really cared in the first place, but I had to at least _try_ to make him listen to me. I realized that I owed him a huge fucking apology, for a lot of things. Needless to say, my nerves were a jumbled mess when Edward strolled through the door and over to the desk, plopping down lazily in his seat. He looked as if he'd have rather been anywhere in the world but here, with me, and it stung a bit. I had to remind myself that the whole predicament was my own damn fault, though, and I could only hope that he'd understand where I was coming from.

I went through the motions of the session without trouble, just like I'd done every other time, but I was still extremely distracted; I was pretty sure he'd noticed something was up, too. The entire time, I'd pause mid-sentence, my mouth open and ready to blurt out the world's most hurried apology. Then I'd decide it wasn't the right time and I'd do it later, force a tight-lipped smile onto my face and continue on while he sat there growing more and more confused (and the confusion, laced with exasperation, was very evident on his face).

I was a procrastinator by nature, especially when it came to things that I did not want to do, and this definitely fell into that category. I'd be the first one to admit that I had an ulterior motive; I had to know what the hell it was about _him_, of all the insignificant acquaintances I'd come across in my lifetime, that made me act the way I did when he was around. Nobody had ever been able to get under my skin the way he did. It was like he knew all the right buttons to push to make me into this obnoxious fucking hag; to make me into everything I'd ever prided myself in _not_ being: irrational, jealous, insecure, irrational, moody, and did I mention _irrational_? I needed to know why, and I sure as hell wouldn't be able to figure it out with the way our relationship was right then. But I also wasn't used to having enemies. It wasn't a nice feeling to walk into a room full of your friends and have somebody glaring murderously at you, and I wanted that to stop.

I stared at him intensely as he gathered his things and shoved them in his bag. I knew it was now or never; that it was something that had to be done, but my nerves were not calming the fuck down.

"Alrighty," he mumbled as he scribbled his name on the schedules and slid them over to me before shooting up out of his seat and grabbing his backpack.

"Wait, I need to talk to you for a—"

"See ya," he said, cutting me off, and walked hurriedly out of the room, across the hall to sign out, then down the corridor.

Well _fuck_. That was the second time I'd attempted to apologize to him and he blew me off. I was determined, though; one way or another, I would make him listen.

*

"Have fun, guys," I said, waving to Ben and Angela who were curled up on the couch, watching a movie. I grabbed my keys off the hook before walking out the door and through the lobby. A crisp, early evening chill nipped at my face as I pushed open the glass door, and I wrapped my arms tightly around myself in an attempt to keep warm as I strolled quickly down the sidewalk.

My anxiety had not settled after Edward left. I'd hurried home after my last tutoring session had ended at 5 to drop my things off, and to create an immaculate apology speech. An hour and fifteen minutes later, I'd been no closer to the perfecting it than I'd been before I'd started, so I'd decided to just show up at his door and blurt out anything and everything I could think of while I had a chance to. I'd figured it couldn't hurt; at least it'd be honest and sincere on the spot.

As I stood in front of Towers, my nerves were in overdrive. I looked all the way up to the top of the building, then back down, through the automatic doors. There were two people I apparently needed to smooth things over with tonight, and the first was sitting at the front desk. I saw two girls coming out of the dorms and I walked through the first set of automatic doors, smiling politely and nodding as we passed each other before I walked into the lobby. Rosalie was tapping the keyboard furiously, and I stopped at the side of the desk and leaned against it with a sigh. She stopped typing and raised an eyebrow before slowly turning her gaze up. She narrowed her eyes and glared when she saw it was me before turning her head back to the computer screen and resuming her clacking away on the keyboard.

"Where's LeeAnn?" I asked, looking around for any sign of the heathen. Rosalie pretended like I wasn't even there, and I sighed again. "You've been ignoring me all day."

"Because you're a dick. Why are you even here? What do you want?"

"I _want_ you to stop ignoring me. I'm here because I'm trying to apologize to you." I paused for a few seconds before mumbling "and Edward." Her head snapped over to me and she gaped at me, wide-eyed and astonished.

"_Why_?"

"Because I've been a complete hag, and I want to explain myself, I guess," I said, messing with the hem of my sweatshirt. "I don't know."

It was silent for a few minutes before she said, "LeeAnn is next door. Some computer lab emergency."

"Lucky you," I said with a smirk.

"I'm still pissed at you."

"And I'm still trying to apologize."

"What makes you think I even _want_ an apology from you, bitch?" I bit my lip to suppress my grin; I was breaking her. I paused in mock contemplation, tilting my head to the side and staring up at the ceiling.

"If it makes you feel any better, my mom told me that I can't ever go to Mexico for Spring Break because I'll get kidnapped and forced into performing unspeakable acts with burros." She cracked a grin and chuckled lightly, leaning forward with her elbows propped on top of the desk.

"I suppose it does. That is quite a humorous thing to picture."

"Exactly! See, you can acknowledge that, while the act itself isn't anything funny, the images your brain subconsciously conjures up _are_! So stop being mad at me; I was deprived of my constant source of entertainment all day, and that was punishment enough," I pouted playfully. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Fine, you're forgiven. Now lets see if that little number works on the other one," she said, looking up for emphasis. I grimaced and pushed off of the counter. Let me know how it goes."

"Yup. If I'm not back within twenty minutes, call campus security. More than likely I'll have been murdered." I started walking towards the elevators when she called after me. I turned around and looked at her questioningly.

"Where _are_ you going for Spring Break?" she asked.

"Forks, to spend some time with my dad and Jake and the guys." Her eyes widened for a moment before her expression smoothed out. She shrugged and nodded before wishing me luck, and as I walked into the open elevator, I heard her typing crazy fast again. Silly girl. I pushed the button for the 13th floor and crossed my arms over my chest as it started moving up quickly. Much too soon, the doors opened with a "ding!" and I walked out and to the left, rounding the corner. I walked down the corridor to the last room on the left and paused in front of it.

I closed my eyes, inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times and whispered encouraging things to myself before lifting my hand to knock. I held my fist two inches from the door, frozen and afraid. What if he kicked me, or yelled at me, or wasn't there? My anxiety level was off the charts, and my heart was beating ridiculously fast. I didn't think I could handle anything not going the way I wanted it to without breaking down into uncontrollable tears, and then I'd _really_ look like a fucking nut case.

"Fuck it," I breathed out as I squinted my eyes shut and knocked loudly three times. I quickly lowered my hand to my side and waited for what felt like fucking centuries before I heard the lock click and the handle on the door turn. Edward stared at me, clearly startled that I was at his front door, and I was too terrified to say anything, so I just stared back at him with wide, crazy eyes.

"Uh, Jasper isn't here..." he trailed off, scratching his cheek. I blinked a few times before clearing my throat.

"I wasn't coming for Jasper. I, um...I need to talk to you about something," I said, averting my gaze to the door jamb to calm myself down; I couldn't stare him in the face and do this properly. He was too distracting.

"_Me_? What the hell do we have to talk about, Bella?" he said, sounding slightly annoyed. I breathed out a laugh and raised my eyebrows.

"A lot, actually. Look, just hear me out, please? You don't have to say anything, just let me—I need to explain." I looked up at him and he was staring blankly at me.

"Go on with it, then," he said, leaning against the door and gesturing for me to continue.

"Okay. I don't even know where to start, really. I guess I just...I'm not...gah," I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose and squinting. "I'm not good with showing my emotions, like, at all. I guess I'm sort of like my dad in that respect. The only emotions I really know how to convey are amusement, nervousness, and anger. When I'm sad, or hurt, or embarrassed, or flustered, or confused, offended, anything like that, I don't know how to deal with it, so I lash out. And I don't always mean to, it's just the only safe way I know how to deal with things. If people don't know exactly what I'm feeling, they're not getting close enough to burn me. Okay, I don't even—I'm getting off topic now."

I was rambling. Oh, god. I didn't even fucking know what the hell I was trying to say anymore! I wasn't the most brilliant speaker in the world, but I couldn't remember a time where I'd had a problem getting to the fucking _point_, and I was most definitely having technical difficulties with that at the moment.

"Essentially what it all comes down to is that there was a huge misunderstanding on my part from day one, and I'd been in a bad fucking mood because of it. And you obviously aren't the type to sit back and let some girl go off on you for seemingly no reason so you lashed out, which pissed me off even more because I didn't even _know_ it was actually a misunderstanding until later, but then I tried to apologize and you wouldn't listen, and we just kept fighting and it escalated into this huge fucking deal that makes no sense, and I'm just sorry, okay? I'm fucking _sorry_, and thank you for being a gentleman the other night, and I'm sorry that I accused you of being gay!"

I hadn't realized that I was flailing my arms like a lunatic until I finished my rant and saw my hands suspended in mid-air. I lowered them to my sides; I was breathing like somebody who'd just run a four minute mile, and he wasn't fucking saying _anything_. I realized at that moment that I'd probably been damn near screaming my apologies at him, and I wondered if there were people down the hall sticking their heads out their doors to see what the fuck all the commotion was about. After a few much-too-long beats of silence, I looked up at him. His expression was completely void of any emotion as he stared at me, still leaning against the door. Finally he straightened up, and his hand slid down the side of the door to the handle.

"Okay," he shrugged.

And then he slammed the door in my face.

* * *

**End Notes: **Uh oh. What do you guys think? Was Bella delusional in her hope for his understanding/forgiveness? Is Edward at his wit's end with her, so much that he won't even consider her apology? How do you think she's going to handle his reaction? Review, and let me know!!


	11. Chapter 11: Leg kicks & TexaAAAAAAS

**Chapter Notes**: Eep! You guys, I got the most reviews ever for the last chapter! There was a lot of discussion about the apology situation, and I'm looking forward to your reactions to what actually happened.

I just want to extend a thanks on behalf of Hannah and myself to everybody who offered their beta-ing services and took the time to do the test chapter. We'd like to openly congratulate and thank Lola84 over at Twilighted for taking us up on our offer to beta the new story! We're constantly talking about how excited we are, and we hope you guys will love it just as much as we're loving writing it. We're submitting it to the queue over there tonight, so keep a look out for it! It's titled, _Back To You_.

With that said, as I'm sure you all know, you can't have more than one chapter of a story in the queue at a time over there. It could take up to 2 weeks for this new one to get validated, and I don't want to post over here and have nothing over there, so I can't tell you if I'm going to be able to post this next week. I'm sure you guys will survive a week without me, though. ;)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: What I own: And empty Ben & Jerry's pint-sized container that wasn't even actually mine. Oops!  
What I do not own: More ice cream or the Cullens/any other Twilight characters.

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Chapter Song: The Jimmy Choo's – Chester French

* * *

_-E-_

"Fuck this stupid class," I growled, throwing my pencil against the book harshly. I ran my hands roughly through my hair before cupping the back of my neck. I glanced to the left to look at the clock; it was 6:30 PM, and I'd been attempting to complete and understand some of my Stats homework for the last forty-five minutes, to no avail . All it was doing was frustrating the living fuck out of me. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, raising my arms above my head and groaning as I stretched. I looked around the room and plopped my hands down on my lap before standing up and making my way to the hall. Emmett and Jasper had left about half an hour before to hit up the Village gym, and I was seriously wishing I'd taken them up on their offer to join them instead of staying home to try and get this week's homework out of the way early. What the hell was I on, thinking it'd be simple enough; that I could finish it in one fucking day?

I walked into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator, pulling out a water bottle and twisting the cap off. I took a swig and leaned against the counter, facing toward the living room. Emmett's Wii console and remotes were strewn haphazardly across the living room floor and coffee table, and I rolled my eyes at his inability to clean up his mess before leaving. I had a newfound respect for his mother. I heard three knocks on the door as I took another swig of water. I pushed myself off the counter and twisted the cap back on the bottle, placing it on the counter top as I swallowed before walking over to the door. I unlocked the dead bolt before turning the handle and pulling the door open, immediately startled by who was on the other side. Bella stood there, staring at me like a deer caught in headlights. I stared back at her, trying to figure out why she'd be knocking on my door, and could only come up with one possible reason.

"Uh, Jasper isn't here..." I said, scratching my cheek.

_Note to self: Shave._

"I wasn't coming for Jasper. I, um...I need to talk to you about something," she said quietly as she diverted her gaze from mine. Was she kidding me?

"_Me_? What the hell do we have to talk about, Bella?" I asked, perturbed. I didn't know what could possibly have been so important that she had to come and disrupt my peace, but I was pretty positive she wasn't standing there, shuffling side to side nervously because she needed to talk to me about my _math_.

"A lot, actually. Look, just hear me out, please? You don't have to say anything, just let me—I need to explain."

I stared at her, internally debating. I wasn't in the mood to argue, and that seemed to be all we did other than when one or both of us was drunk, however I was incredibly curious at this point to know what she had to say.

"Go on with it, then," I said, finally, as I leaned against the door.

"Okay. I don't even know where to start, really..." Then why the hell was she in front of my door? Shouldn't she have had at least a general outline of what she wanted to say before she'd knocked?

All of a sudden, she was off on this long tangent, and she went from not knowing what to say to not knowing when to shut the hell up. I'd never seen her so vulnerable and it was quite amusing, although I was having a difficult time catching up. I stared at her after she stopped shouting, trying to think of how to handle the situation. Regardless of not knowing what she had said for 97% of her rant, I _did _understand that she'd made the effort to come all the way here and apologize numerous times, lastly about calling me gay, which I almost laughed out loud about. I decided that we really _did_ have a bit to talk about, but that we needed to do it calmly and intelligibly. That wasn't going to happen with me in the doorway and her in the hall, causing a scene. I didn't want to make her think she was off the hook just yet, though. I didn't know if the idea forming in my head was going to piss her off and completely cancel out the small step to civility we'd maintained just now, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I straightened up and grasped the door handle before saying a simple, "Okay," with a shrug and slamming the door closed. I stood with my hand against it, chuckling slightly and counting backward from twenty.

_Nineteen, eighteen, you are so fucked up, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, she's going to kick you in the balls for this, eleven, ten, nine, eight, but the look on her face will be so worth it, four, three, two.._

I grinned and threw open the door, but my face instantly dropped at what was before me. She was standing there, still in shock, with tears _streaming_ down her face.

"Oh my g—are you _crying_?" I asked, horror stricken. She looked up at me, eyes shining and red-rimmed, and sobbed loudly. I leaned into the hallway and looked to the right, seeing a few people staring at us oddly from across the way, and grabbed her arm, yanking her inside before closing the door.

"I—um...I didn't...uh..I'll just go and get you...something. Yeah, okay," I sputtered, scratching the back of my head before turning sharply and walking in the direction of the bathroom. I couldn't believe she was fucking _crying_. Surely it couldn't have been from me slamming the door on her, right? I mean, did it really matter that much that I accepted her apology? I couldn't believe that it did. I grabbed a box of tissues from the top of the toilet and walked back out and into the hallway where she remained standing, completely still. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Come on," I said quietly as I grabbed her forearm gently, pulling her into the living room and over to the couch. I pushed her shoulders down slightly, signaling for her to sit, and took a seat next to her, handing her the box of tissues as she snapped out of whatever weird trance she had been in and wiped her face.

_Wow, you've really outdone yourself this time, you dick._

I patted her back awkwardly as she sniffed and wiped her nose; I hated when girls cried. I never knew what the fuck to do.

"I'm sorry," I started nervously, "I was just trying to make a stupid joke out of it. I would never seriously slam the door in somebody's face, no matter how little we got along. Unless they were like, trying to stab me or had a weapon of some sort, but that's another story," I rambled, scratching my jean-clad thigh. She laughed, sniffing and wiping her nose again as she looked down at her lap. "If I had have known you'd react like this, I never would have..." I trailed off, shaking my head. She took a deep breath, glancing over at me before quickly looking back to her hands, her fingers fumbling with the wadded up tissue.

"No, it's—I'm fine. I was so nervous about doing this," she said, sounding slightly nasal as she gestured between the two of us, "that when I thought you just completely shrugged me off I—I just couldn't really deal with it. I don't even know how to explain it. It's like all the anxiety I'd been suppressing came crashing down on me and I broke. God, I feel like such a moron," she chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"No, I get it. I'm sorry. That wasn't the best idea on my part, but uh...I didn't really understand most of what you said. All I really got from it was something about a misunderstanding, and an apology for accusing me of being gay," I said, smirking. She blushed and ducked her head down lower.

"Yeah, I really am sorry about that. You were right; I shouldn't have accused you of _anything_. I didn't remember everything right away, but that's no excuse. It's not like I was naked or anything." She cringed and I raised my eyebrows, shifting uncomfortably as I remembered the curves of her backside. I subtly glanced down at her hips, hoping that her underwear were peeking out to give me a hint as to what they looked like today. No such luck. "Well, I wasn't _completely_ naked," she corrected, oblivious to my attempt at x-ray vision on her lower half. "But you took care of me, even though you really had no reason to, and still managed to let me have a bit of my dignity left. And then I went off on you for not taking advantage of me? What kind of shit is that? I was irrational, as I always seemingly am around you. I swear, I'm not normally like this with anybody else, and I wish I could understand why I'm this way with you," she finished, almost pleadingly, before finally looking up at me.

"I just have that effect on women," I shrugged before grinning. She grinned back and shook her head, sighing heavily. "I haven't exactly been a saint through all of this either, though."

"Yeah, but it was my fault it started to begin with." I hummed in agreement; I wasn't going to lie and say it wasn't.

"Care to explain that? Slowly this time, please," I teased.

"Well, like I said, it was a misunderstanding. Last week..."

She went on to explain how she'd gotten annoyed because quite a few people had bailed on her tutoring session, leaving her with nothing to do for hours. Unfortunately, I was, unknowingly, the last one to do so, and when we met and she realized I was...well, me, she went off, and it progressed into what it was now from there. I had a feeling she was leaving something out, but when I called her on it she simply said, "I'll tell you some other time. Maybe."

It was too soon to say we were past all the bullshit, and we were nowhere near friends, but I had no doubt that, if she could keep her crazy episodes to a minimum and I could control myself better, we could at least be friend_ly_.

"Well, now that it's all settled, let's move on to the more important matter at hand," I said, putting my hands behind my head and leaning back on the couch, crossing my outstretched legs at my ankles.

"Which is?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"How bad you want me," I grinned, wiggling my eyebrows. She kicked my foot and I laughed as she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hey, I'm just repeating what you told me!"

"I was _drunk_!"

"People are most honest with they're drunk," I said matter-of-factly. "But I won't push it. You'll realize it soon enough." She scoffed as I stood up, stretching. "It's actually pretty perfect that you're here, though. I need help with my Stats homework."

"Psh, I'm not on the clock," she joked, standing up. "What's the problem?"

"I'm stuck on section three of chapter three right now," I said, walking towards the hall and motioning for her to follow. "I want to get it all done today, or at least most of it. I hate having to worry about it for the entire week." I walked through the door of my room, glancing back to make sure she was behind me. She nervously entered the room, looking around. I turned and sat back slightly on the edge of my bed, folding my arms across my chest and crossing my legs at the ankles again as I stared at her in amusement. "Don't worry," I said, startling her as she turned her gaze to me. "If I didn't take advantage of you while I was drunk, I won't when I'm sober. Plus, I'm _gay_, remember?"

"I said I was sorry," she grumbled, walking forward more and stopping in back of my computer chair as she shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Yeah, but I'm going to enjoy giving you shit about it for a while. You didn't honestly think I'd let it go _that_ quickly, did you?" I asked with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, half-smiling. "Anyway, your co-worker is under the impression that I really _am_ gay, so if you could keep up the pretense around her, I'll be indebted to you."

"What? Who?" she asked, leaning her shoulder against the armoir.

"I don't remember her name. I just called her 'you' and she didn't seem to mind," I shrugged, scratching my cheek roughly. Stupid facial hair. She snorted and turned so that her back was against it, looking at the side of my bed as her eyebrows furrowed in contemplation.

"Hmm," she hummed, exhaling through her nose as her eyes narrowed slightly. "Obviously it isn't Rose. LeeAnn, maybe? Red-headed? Beastly?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Although, when we were walking to your place Saturday night she was at the front desk, shooting death rays at your back."

"She's a cow." I barked out a laugh and she smirked, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "She is! I can't stand her. Anyway, uh...lets see. What'd she look like?"

"A whore," I replied bluntly.

"Jessica!" she exclaimed immediately.

"Yes!" I agreed, snapping and pointing my index finger at her. "There we go, Jessica."

"Why does she think you're gay?"

"I _may_ have led her to believe I work in a shop that specializes in male cosmetics. On Castro." She laughed, an incredulous look on her face, and I joined in. "I may have also skipped out the doors." That sent her over the edge. She braced herself with her hands on her thighs and laughed hysterically, her face scrunched up and her eyes squinted shut.

"_Why_ would you do that?" she choked out.

"She wouldn't leave me alone!" I reasoned. "Her and her stupid fucking friends keep sexually harassing me every time they see me. I figured she'd run her mouth and maybe they'd leave me be."

"That was probably a really smart idea, actually. Oh, man. Thanks. I needed that."

"Glad to be of service," I smirked, pushing myself off the bed and going over to my computer chair before sitting down. She walked over to the bed and leaned against the foot of it. "Alright, back to the original topic. I need help, now that you've had time to take in where I get naked and imagine me doing so," I said, turning to look at her with a wink. She punched me in the shoulder and I laughed, rubbing it over my shirt.

*

"Thanks so much, Bella. I really appreciate it," I said, walking her to the door.

"It's no problem," she replied, shrugging her shoulders and turning around to face me. "Thanks for not killing me." I chuckled, shaking my head.

No sooner had we started working on my homework, Emmett came barging through the front door, asking me of—no, _screaming_ at me in reference to Bella's whereabouts. When he came into the room and saw her standing there, he looked between us, grinned, ran out of the room then out of the front door again, leaving Bella and I to stare at the place he'd stood thirty seconds prior in awe. Jasper appeared in the doorway right after and explained that, when they'd entered the lobby after working out, Rosalie had demanded that Emmett rush up here and make sure Bella was still alive, then report back to her at the front desk.

"No problem," I repeated with a smirk.

"Thanks for listening to me, too...and for being so cool about it. It was more than I probably deserved from you, after all this," she added, looking down and kicking the carpet with the toe of her shoe.

"It's, uh...it's cool," I replied, running a hand through my hair before shoving my hands into my pockets. "Thanks for apologizing, I guess."

What the hell was I supposed to say? She had been acting really fucking cool for the two hours or so that she'd been here, and to be completely honest, it was unnerving. I was walking on eggshells, waiting for her to blow up on me at any second, and I knew I'd be doing so for a long while. She nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets as well, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Okay then. So...I guess I'll see you soon?" she asked, looking up at me. I nodded and brought one hand out of my pocket to the back of my neck, rubbing it firmly.

"Yeah, sure," I agreed, walking closer to the door and pulling it open for her. She muttered her thanks, shouted a goodbye to Jasper and walked out the door with a small wave. Before it had a chance to completely shut, though, she pushed it open and walked back in.

"Edward?"

"Huh?"

She kicked me in my calf and I flinched, bending over to rub it.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?!" I shouted.

"It'll be your balls if you make me cry again." She smirked and walked down the hall, and I stared at the door as it slammed shut, flabbergasted. I leaned against the wall, exhaling heavily. That kick had really fucking hurt.

"_What_ the hell was that about?" Jasper demanded, coming out of his room. "I mean, I'm all for you two being cool; you guys are both my friends and it sucked that you hated each other so much, but that's just _it. _You guys loathed each other. What the hell happened?" I groaned and rolled to the left before walking forward, limping slightly, into the living room. I plopped down on the couch, one foot on the arm rest and the other planted firmly on the floor as I slung an arm across my eyes. I heard footsteps and the creaking of one of the chairs before Jasper said, "Well?"

"She really _is_ Bipolar," I said, snickering. Jasper didn't find it amusing, apparently, and I cleared my throat, quieting down. "She apologized. I accepted. She helped me with the rest of my Statistics homework, and now she's gone."

Before he could reply, the sound of the front door bursting open _again_ signaled Emmett's imminent arrival, and I lowered my arm to my chest, leaning my head back as he came to stand right at the end of the couch, staring down at me.

"I talked to Bella," he announced. I raised an eyebrow and sat up slightly, looking at Jasper quizzically. He shrugged and lifted his ankle to rest on his knee, gripping it with his hand.

"How...delightful for you?" I said in the form of a question, shaking my head slightly.

"She was waiting for the elevator when I came up," he continued, ignoring my sarcasm. "Rosie said she came to apologize. Is it true? Did you kiss and make up? Did I win?" he asked eagerly. I sat up and stared at him like he was the dumbest fucking person in the entire world because, well, at that moment, he pretty much was in my eyes.

"Win _what_, you dipshit?"

"It doesn't matter, just answer me! Are you guys cool now?"

I started to turn my head away from him and did a double-take before completely averting my gaze and shrugging. "I guess," I replied, standing up and walking around him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" he shouted. "Where is he going?" he repeated, I assumed to Jasper, as I walked down the hall to the room and shut the door, pushing the lock in. I went over to my computer desk and sat down, pulling my lap top closer to me on the desk and flipping it open. I pressed some keys to take it out of hibernation mode and pulled up Safari, typing in the Northwest Airlines website to book my ticket home for Spring Break.

I heard thumping down the hall that could only be Emmett's footsteps before the door knob jiggled a few times. I smirked and opened one of the drawers, pulling my iPod out. I stuck the ear buds in my ears and hit the menu button, scrolling to the 'Shuffle Songs' option as he started knocking on the door, demanding that I let him inside since it was his room, too.

"Go to Rosalie's place!" I shouted before pressing the middle button and turning the volume up as loud as it would go. I typed in all of my information on the website and grabbed my Visa Check card from my wallet, oblivious to anything other than Nirvana's "In Bloom" blaring into my ears. I hit submit when everything was filled out, wrote down my confirmation number before closing my lap top, and made my way over to my bed. I hopped onto it and rolled on my back, resting my iPod on my chest and my hands behind my head as I closed my eyes, tapping my feet in the air to the beat.

Emmett would figure out sooner or later that the key to our front door doubled as an instrument to pop open the lock to our room, if he really cared enough to get in.

* * *

I turned and waved to Jasper one more time as I walked up the ramp to the door of my Chem lab Wednesday afternoon. To say I was nervous was an understatement. Naturally, I hadn't seen Adrian since the weekend fiasco, and I had been stressing all morning about how she would act. I didn't know if she'd be pissed and completely ignore me, pretend it never happened, or be plain out cool about it. I mean, it wasn't as if we were _together_ or anything; she had no real reason to get mad about it, right?

_Well_, I thought to myself as I grasped the handle and, with a deep breath, turned it, pulling the door open. _You're about to find out_. I walked inside and looked around the room to find...no Adrian.

"The hell?" I muttered as I furrowed my eyebrows, turning to the left to walk towards my stool while scanning the room again.

"She had to run to her car to get some papers she forgot to grab," I heard, and I looked to the source of the voice: Ben.

"Oh. Okay," I said, shrugging off my backpack and throwing it down before straddling my stool. I rested my elbows on the counter and leaned towards him. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Just 'hi'," he said with a shrug.

"Did she seem pissed at all?" I asked lowly, looking around our area to make sure nobody was listening in.

"Nah," he replied, shaking his head. "She wouldn't to _me_, though. I didn't do anything."

"Guilty by association," I joked, nudging him with my elbow.

"Always am," he smirked, rolling his eyes.

"So, how are things with Angela?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows as I straightened up in my seat.

"Good, good. I'm pretty sure she's a keeper." He looked down at his notebook and scribbled random shapes onto the blank piece of paper, a faint smile on his lips.

"I'm happy for you, man," I grinned as I raised my hand, smacking him on the back before gripping the back of his neck and shaking him side to side slightly. He laughed and started to say something before the door swung open.

"Sorry, guys. I got everything this time, I promise," Adrian said, coming into the room with a few thick folders filled with papers. I tensed up and stared at her as she crossed the opposite side of the room to the front, plopping to folders down on the desk.

"Ow, ow, OW. DUDE, I'm pretty sure you're about to pop my spinal accessory nerve." I snapped my head over to Ben and realized that my hand, still gripping the back of his neck, had tensed up with the rest of my body. I hissed and let go quickly, cringing slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't realize...shit, are you okay?" I asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured me, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is there a problem back there?"

Ben and I looked up to the front and saw Adrian staring at us with a quirked eyebrow. He looked at me and raised his eyebrows before looking away, silently telling me that I could answer her.

_Thanks, man. I mean, what are friends for, right?_

"Nah, nah. Just a little neck massage gone wrong," I said, laughing nervously. She nodded and scanned the rest of the class with her eyes, telling us to turn to page 87 as she started explaining the lab we'd be doing. I exhaled loudly and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Fuck," I mumbled, laying my arms out straight and resting my forehead on the cool counter between them. This was going to be a long fucking class.

*

"Cullen, I need you to stay after for a minute," Adrian said, her eyes never leaving the paper she was writing on as she leaned against one of the counters at the front of the class. I stopped and looked over at Ben as he hesitated at the door, glancing between us curiously. I shrugged and shook my head slightly, running a hand through my hair as I looked over at her then back to him with a heavy sigh.

"Go on, it's fine," I said, nodding my head towards the door as I heard something rip, then the sound of crumpling paper. "I'll talk to you later." He nodded and waved, pushing his way out the door. I stared at it as it clicked shut, sighed heavily and turned around, walking slowly towards her.

_Here it comes..._

"Hey," she said, standing up straight and placing her palms on the counter.

"Hey, yourself," I replied, stopping to the side of it and leaning my hip against the edge.

"How was your weekend?"

"It was okay." I nodded, looking around nervously. It was quiet for a few moments before I asked, "yours?"

"Mine was good," she replied quickly.

More awkward silence.

"Sorry about Saturday night," she said, finally. I frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were dancing, and then I just sort of...wandered off." My ego almost got the best of me, and I bit my tongue to keep from saying that _I _was the one that "wandered off"; right into the arms of a drunken minx named Bella.

"I—" I also stopped myself from saying, "I hadn't even noticed"; that would have gone over just as well as proclaiming that I'd been the one who ditched _her_. "It's all good," I said finally, shrugging nonchalantly. I looked around the room, puffing out my cheeks and exhaling slowly. I heard her sigh and I looked back over to her.

"Look, the reason I wanted to talk to you was...Well, somebody from the class went and complained to the Dean of Science and Engineering."

"About?" I prodded, frowning slightly.

"My behavior with you in class."

"_What_?" I asked incredulously. "Who the hell did that? And _why_?"

"I don't know who did it. He wouldn't tell me. He just said a student came in and accused me of flirting with one of my other students to the point that it was offensive, and that by law, he had to ask me about it."

"What the fuck," I said, loudly. "That's some fucking bullshit."

"I agree," she nodded, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, what'd you do?"

"I denied it through my teeth, of course. And since there was no evidence and I'd had no prior complaints, it was my word against whoever complained. I just have to watch my back from now on, though, so I needed to let you know what's going on."

"I'm sorry," I said, sincerely. She shrugged and looked up at me with a half-smile.

"It's not your fault." I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips before tilting my head to the right, a smirk forming on my lips.

"Were you?" I asked.

"Was I what?"

"Flirting with me."

"You should already know the answer to that," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Should I?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Well, I don't," I pressed.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" she said, playfully feigning annoyance.

"Yup."

"Well then take this and get out of here." She shoved a torn, folded up piece of paper in the front pocket of my jeans and I looked down at it, confused.

"What is it?"

"You'll see. Go on, get out of my class."

"Psh, you know you don't really want me gone."

"Edward," she warned.

"Okay, okay. I'm going. See ya." I waved and walked out of the door, the ramp creaking under my weight as I walked down it. I started towards Thornton Hall and climbed the steps quickly, knowing I'd need to take any and all shortcuts I could so that I wouldn't be late for my tutoring session. I pulled out the piece of paper in my pocket as I walked down the deserted hall, toward the front of the building, and unfolded it. There were a bunch of numbers written on it, and I stared at them in confusion before counting the digits.

_One, two, three, four......eight-nine-ten..._

I instantly fished out my phone from my pocket and hit the buttons to create a new text message. I simply put "_**?**_"and entered the number before hitting send. As I exited through the front of the building, my phone buzzed, and I opened the text message from the unknown number.

_**They can't complain about what they don't know. I won't stop if you won't.**_

I grinned and hit reply.

_**I'm all in, baby.**_

Score: 1 for Cullen. Ca-_ching_.

~º~º~

"Have a good day, Edward," Bella said, smiling.

"You too, Bella. Bye." I waved and walked across the hall, smiling and greeting Angela at the help desk as I signed out. I waved as I departed, chuckling softly at the fact that I'd said 'goodbye' not even a full 60 seconds after I'd said 'hello' as I walked down the hall.

The tutoring session with Bella had gone just as it always had, minus the uncomfortable tension. I'd still been hesitant as I'd walked into the room, expecting her to suddenly retract her entire apology and go psycho on me again, but when she'd smiled brightly and asked how I was doing after I'd approached the table, I relaxed. Since we'd gotten through the first section's homework in the last session, and she'd helped me with the last two when she was at my dorm (that was still odd to think of—her in my dorm, not trying to kill me, and vice versa), the only one I really needed to review was the second section, since that was the only one I'd done by myself. I had explained to her how I'd completed it, and she quizzed me on some of the formulas and had me do a few other problems that weren't homework before declaring that I sufficiently knew the chapter on Statistics for describing, exploring, and comparing data.

We'd still had a little over half an hour left after all of that, so we'd started talking. I asked a bit about Phoenix, remembering that she'd said that was where she was from, and about her family. She'd asked about mine, and we'd just gone back and forth as such for the remainder of the time. She really had seemed like a person I'd hang out with when she wasn't acting like a woman going through menopause.

I weaved my way through the corridors until I approached the stairwell and started down them quickly. I looked down at my pocket as I reached the first door and pulled out my phone to check the time; five minutes after four. That gave me enough time to grab something to eat, drop everything off at the dorm and head out for work. I pressed on the metal bar with my elbow, pushing the door open with my back as I shoved my phone in my pocket. I turned back around to face forward once I was outside and halted my steps as I looked down into smiling, icy blue eyes.

"Alice?" I asked, confused, blinking a few times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Though why I would be hallucinating _Alice_ of all people was beyond me.

"Uh huh," she said, peering around me. I stared at her and furrowed my eyebrows, turning around to see what she was staring at, but finding nothing.

"What are you doing here? And what are you staring at?" I asked as she stood on her tip-toes, attempting to peer over my shoulder.

"Nothing," she said, clasping her hands behind her back—I couldn't understand how she managed to do that, considering the white bag slung over her shoulder was the size of a fucking boulder—and looking up at me with a smile. "I just...you know, I haven't really seen you lately, so I thought I'd come hang out."

"I just saw you on Saturday," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"For a second," she retorted, darting her gaze to the door when it swung open. I looked behind me again and grabbed Alice's upper arms gently, pushing her back as I scooted forward to move out of the guy's way. She peered around me again, bending down and to the side slightly to look in the open door and up.

"Alice, what the hell are you _doing_?"

"_Nothing_, jeez," she said, straightening up. "Where are you off to now?"

"Home, to drop this off," I said, tugging on one of my straps. "Then I'm going to grab something to eat."

"I'll join you, then! And yes, please get take _thing_ away," she said in disgust, turning to walk down the concrete. I followed, catching up to her in two strides, and shook my head.

"Why do you hate my _back pack_ so much, woman?"

"Because it's hideous. I've always hated those damn contraptions. Who the hell even _wears_ them?" I stared at her blankly before looking around, obviously, and waving my hand side to side.

"Um.._**everybody**_."

"Well, not me. Even as a kid, I never wore them. They aren't necessary."

That much was true. She'd always just had _some_ sort of bag that held everything she needed in it until high school. Then she'd just stopped bringing one all together, since she had a locker.

"I have to work tonight," I said, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I know," she replied.

"How did you—" She tapped her temple and I nodded; of course. The midget knew everything.

"I'm coming with you," she said, cheerily. "Ashlyn will be there, and she'll keep me company."

"Ashlyn doesn't work tonight."

"I never said she'd be working," she chirped. "I brought a few things to occupy myself in the meantime, so don't worry." She patted her bag before swinging her arms back and forth. I didn't bother to argue. She had her mind made up, and she was completely incorrigible at times as such. She started rambling on about something completely irrelevant, moving her hands around wildly as she spoke, and I grinned; that was my best friend.

"I love you, kid," I said, slinging an arm around her shoulders and bringing her to my side.

"I know," she said, wrapping an arm around my waist, and I chuckled and kissed her forehead with a loud smack before dropping my arm and intertwining my fingers with hers, swinging our arms back and forth.

*

"Are you going home for Spring Break?" Alice asked as she stabbed some lettuce from her Chicken Cesar Salad.

"Where else would I go?" I replied, taking a bite of my Chicken sandwich and chewing. Eh. Café Rosso had nothing on Café in the Park.

"I don't know. You might have decided to stay here," she shrugged, shoving the fork into her mouth. I swallowed my bite and took a drink of my Dr. Pepper.

"Nah. I'd rather do absolutely nothing in _my_ home."

"You're so boring on breaks," she chastised, taking a drink of her Green Tea. "I'm glad I won't have to try to drag you out this time."

"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.

"Em and I are going to stay with Grammy over the break."

"What? But your parents always go in May. Why are they changing it up now?"

"They're not going." I stared at her blankly.

"But...Grammy lives in TexaAAAAAAS, I see what you're doing, you little shit!" I exclaimed, pointing at her. "You're going so that you don't have to be away from Jasper! And Emmett's going so he doesn't have to be away from Rosalie."

"_No_, we're going to visit our _Grammy_, because we weren't able to last year when our parents went, and we miss her. It just so happens that she lives in Garland, where Rosalie and Jasper are from."

"Uh huh," I said, rolling my my eyes.

"It's true! And Rosalie and Emmett have been together for a while now, and her parents want to meet him."

"Understandable," I said, nodding as I bit into my sandwich again. "Well, shit. I'm going to be all alone."

"Cry me a river. You'll have your parents."

"_No_," I corrected, "they're going to be in Chicago."

"Then go with them," she shrugged.

"I don't want to go with them."

"Then shut the hell up and stop complaining!" I huffed and took another bite of my sandwich, pouting as I stared off down the pavement.

"Jasper wants me to meet them, too," she mumbled. I stopped chewing and looked over at her as she pushed a piece of chicken around the bowl. I started chewing again and swallowed, licking my lips.

"I take it you don't want to?"

"It's not that, I just...it's too soon, isn't it?" she asked, dropping her fork. "I mean, we haven't even been together for a week!"

"But you'll have been together longer by the time break rolls around," I pointed out.

"Only for a month longer. That's still too soon."

"Alice, it's not like you're some stranger he picked up off the streets. He knows you; he's known you as long as Emmett's known Rosalie. It just took him a little longer to act on it." She sighed and nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess you're right. I mean, it varies from relationship to relationship, right? I don't know. I'll just have to wait and see how things are when the time comes."

"Then what was the point of stressing out over it right now?"

She kicked my calf and I laughed, bending down to rub it. What the hell was with girls and kicking in the leg? We finished eating as we talked and joked about random things; just having some of our old, quality "best friend" time that I hadn't even realized I'd been missing quite so much. At around five, I suggested we head out, since I had to be at work by six. We walked over to the Creative Arts building, catching the shuttle that picked up there and taking it to the front of the school, since both of us were full and completely disinterested in walking the food off. The commute took a bit longer since there was five o'clock traffic to worry about, but we got to the store ten minutes to six nonetheless. We went in and I greeted Seth and Eli at the bag check-in as I hopped up onto the platform, reaching out a hand to Alice and helping her up. She pushed me out of the way and hopped off behind the registers before flitting her way towards the employee room. I sighed and followed after her quickly as the other employees working the registers watched her in alarm. When I walked in she was hugging Gabe, who was sitting at the table with papers scattered, beaming.

"Hey, Gabe," I said, walking over to clock in.

"How ya doin', Edward?"

"I'm okay," I nodded. "This one decided she needed to tag along," I said, nodding to Alice.

"You don't mind, do you Gabe? I can stay in here, right?" she asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes; Alice had accompanied me to work numerous times. From the moment Gabe had met her, she'd had him wrapped around her itty-bitty finger, so when she "knew" he was working, she'd tag along, knowing he wouldn't make her leave. I always got scared that it would end up getting me fired or causing me trouble at the very least, because that's just not normal; to have your best friend tag along to your place of employment _while_ you work. Alice could work her charm like no other, though, and no issues had arisen from her presence. At least, none that I'd known about. Maybe it was because she was tiny. People always thought tiny was fucking cute.

"Of course, Alice. You know you can," he said, patting her hand that was resting on his shoulder.

"Well _I _have to work, so enjoy yourself," I said, walking toward the door.

"I always do," she replied.

"Oh, hey, Edward. Switch with Mackenzie at register three in trade-ins. She was supposed to be off at 5:30."

"Will do," I said, walking out and turning to the right, heading back towards the bag station. I hopped through the openings and jogged over to the side door, leading behind the registers at the trade-in counter. I told the girl—Mackenzie—at register three that I would take over, and she thanked me before heading out.

True to Alice's prediction, Ashlyn showed up about two hours later. Alice came out at exactly the right time and walked through the store with her before heading back into the employee room for the duration of my shift. The ten employees that were left at closing, including myself, cleaned up and counted the money in the registers, shelved all of the trade-ins we'd received, then called it a night.

I took Alice back to the Academy and made sure she got into her dorm room safely before hugging her goodbye and kissing her cheek. I walked the few blocks to the Montgomery station and took the M-line all the way back to the school, trudging my way tiredly through the campus and back to the dorm. I didn't bother paying attention to who was at the desk as I went through the lobby, and when I walked through the front door I headed straight for my room, barely kicking off my shoes before plopping down on the bed and falling asleep.

* * *

**End Notes: **I hope you guys enjoyed it! Review and you MIGHT get _two_ chapters the next time I post. :D


	12. Chapter 12: DID & DOG Pt 1

**Chapter Notes**: Heeeeey. Got lots of reviews on the last chapter, which was a bit of a shocker considering y'all severely LAG over on this end haha. I think it was about tied between here and Twilighted, so kudos. The new story, _Back To You_, got validated on Friday, which is why I'm posting on time. As you can see, this is a split chapter, because it just got way too long. Seriously, I haven't finished yet--almost, but not quite--and I've hit the 30 page mark. That's just a little ridonc to post all at once, so I figured, what the hell, right? Make it two! I'm sure you guys won't mind. :) This part is 16 pages long, so you better not. haha.

Happy Mother's Day to all you (un)lucky momma's out there. Hope you have a great day filled with crappy (but loveable!) homemade gifts from your little nuggets. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **What I own: The added stress of another semester, thus a daily kick in the ass for not getting my shit together in the first place.  
What I don't own: Twilight, the characters, blah blah blah. I'm running out of clever things to say!

* * *

Chapter Song: Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley

* * *

_-B-_

"Okay, is that _it _this time?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely _sure_?"

"No."

"_Jake_," I groaned, throwing the pen down on my notebook and running my hands over my face. For the past three days we'd been on the phone, trying to make out a grocery list for his impending visit, and every time I'd _think_ we were finished so that I could finally order the damn groceries, he'd suddenly "remember" about fifteen _more_ items. It was never-ending, and completely exhausting; not to mention the fact that it was entirely impossible, now, for me to order them online. I'd have to coax Rosalie into taking me, because there was no fucking way I'd be able to carry all the groceries I'd need on the MUNI.

"Okay, yes. Yeah, it's fine."

"This is _it_,Jake," I warned. "I'm not asking you again."

"_Yes_, it's _fine_."

"Finally," I sighed, closing up my notebook and shoving it into my backpack. "I know this has been a bitch, and we can always run to a store for a few things here and there during your visit if we forgot something, but I just need to get the bulk of it done before you get here. Two days! All we have left is two days."

"I know, Bells. But how about you sound a little less anxious and a lot more _excited_ to see your best friend, after _how _long?"

"A year and five months," I answered automatically. "And yes, I've counted. Numerous times, so don't tell _me_ that I'm not excited."

"I'm _so_ sorry," he teased. "Forgive me?"

"I _guess_," I drawled with a grin. I really _was_ excited about seeing him, but I was still scared; I was _always_ scared right before I saw him. What if I'd changed too much for him? What if _he'd _changed, and he didn't think I'd changed _enough_? Would he still want to be my friend? My_ best _friend?

I would never deny that I was an extremely insecure person. I never really saw any redeeming qualities in myself; at least none that would keep people interested in me for prolonged periods of time. I was an extremely selfish person, and I didn't always have the best first reaction to things. I didn't know how to show my emotions, so a lot of times I came off as if I didn't care when I couldn't have cared _more_. I didn't deserve the friendships I had, and I was always sort of waiting for them to come to that realization, too.

"Hell_oooo_, earth to Bella!"

"Huh?" I said, blinking rapidly as I snapped out of self-deprecation mode. "Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"Are you feeling okay? You're not getting sick, are you?"

"No, I'm not getting sick. I'm fine, I'm just a little tired. Didn't get much sleep last night," I said—it wasn't a _complete_ lie—as I took a sip of my coffee and leaned my head back on the chair to look up at the sky. "It's been pretty overcast the last few days."

"Yeah, but Accuweather said it should be in the 70's all week, so I'm plenty okay with that."

"You've been checking the weather?" I asked, a pleased smirk creeping onto my face.

"So?" he grumbled, and I heard shuffling around on the other end. "What's your point?"

"No point. It's just cute, is all."

"Sure, sure."

"Don't try to play it down to me, Jacob Black. I know you're just as excited as I am about this," I chuckled, taking another drink of coffee.

"I'm not denying it," he replied, then paused for a second. "Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you masturbating?"

"I'm sitting at a café on campus, Jake! What the hell?"

For years he had been trying to catch me in the act. At the most random times he'd text me simply with, "Masturbating?!" and every time I'd had to slowly kill his hope by telling him I wasn't. He was relentless, though, and always said he wouldn't give up until he caught me, and he was determined that one of these days, he would.

"You didn't deny it!" he exclaimed.

"No, dumbshit. I'm not."

"Dammit!" he huffed. "You're repressed, Bells."

"Just because you don't ask at the right times doesn't mean I don't do it."

"So you _do_! When?!"

"I'm not telling you!" I laughed, shaking my head.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Hey, it's a quarter to two."

"Okay," I sighed, tossing my pen into my backpack and zipping it up. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow. And you _better_ have finished packing by then."

"Okay, _mother_."

"Shut up, dickwad. I love you."

"I love you, too, asshat."

"Bye," I said with a chuckle before hanging up. I shrugged on the straps of my backpack and picked up my coffee before making my way up to HSS for my last Wednesday tutoring sessions before Spring Break.

Jake had still remained too lazy to make the fifteen minute trip to the thrifty mart even after the rant I'd gone on, so he'd booted up the ancient PC at his dad's house—he and Embry had an apartment together, now—to get it over and done with. The connection was so slow that the page would _time out _and we'd have to start all over again, therefore it took us almost two hours to actually book our flights. I couldn't understand his resistance in the least, though. He'd said he was paranoid about transmitting his credit card number via airwaves _and_ e-waves, which was why he was going to Western Union me the fare for his flight and I would just book it, because I had zero problems with internet purchases. They made my life a hell of a lot easier. So, if he was just going to end up doing it in the end, why hadn't he booked online in the first place? It would have saved us a lot of hassle.

Thankfully, there had still been a good selection of seats left, and we were able to get seats next to each other, just as we'd planned. I'd managed to get time off from both jobs the following week, but I had to work Mary Ward and Towers this Saturday and Sunday. That had been kind of a bummer, but at least I had the time off _period_ to spend with my Jake, plus I'd managed to convince my boss to give me the 8 PM to 3 AM shift so that I'd still be able to show him around and hang out during the day, when I wasn't in school.

I opened the door to the building and walked to the elevators, standing with the small group that had already been waiting for the doors to open. I walked in last, smiling politely at the others, and checked to make sure the button for the third floor was lit before leaning against the rail to my left. When it reached my floor I stepped off and walked through the hallways before going into the sign in room to clock in. I said a quick hello to Jennifer then walked across the hall to set up for my first session.

I was very pleased with the progress all of my tutees were making, but especially with Edward. After numerous weekly quizzes, homework assignments, and his first test, he had a solid B average in the class, and he was elated. The day he'd gotten his test back, he'd literally _run_ into the room for our session and scooped me up into a huge hug, thanking me profusely for my help. I smiled at the memory; we'd definitely made progress in our relationship, as well. I didn't know what we were—friends, friendly acquaintances, although acquaintances seemed like a slightly under-descriptive term for how much we saw each other, considering our circle of mutual friends. Whatever we were, though, I was okay with it. We actually got along really well; better than I could have ever expected, and we'd made it routine to sort of play a "20 Questions" type game to get to know each other better when we had left over time in the session.

Alex came in and sat down at the table, and for the next hour I forced my thoughts away from Edward. It seemed as if, in one way or another, he was always on my mind, even from the first day I met him. It was confusing, not to mention a little unsettling. After we'd finished and Alex was signing his papers, I informed him that the following week I would be gone, so if he called in, he needed to make sure he told the front desk that Eric Yorkie (_cringe_) was his assigned tutor for the week. He nodded and thanked me before walking across the hall to sign out, then down the corridor and out of sight. I gathered all of my Algebra notes and shoved the schedules into their respective folder, then took out my Statistics notes. I hadn't been able to find Edward a replacement tutor; there weren't many Stats tutors as it was, and unfortunately, none of them had their "open hour"—each of the tutors had one hour during every scheduled shift in which we took unregistered walk-ins—on the days or at the time that Edward and I had our sessions, so I'd photocopied all the notes I had for chapters 4 and 5, plus I'd made him a little review, hoping that they'd be enough to help him study for his midterm the following Wednesday.

"Don't kill yourself," I heard as I felt my ponytail being tugged on. I looked up and saw Edward sitting down with a grin on his face as he pulled his things out of his bag.

"Eh?"

"You looked like you were concentrating so hard, your brain was about to ooze out of your ears."

"What a delightful mental image," I said, dryly, tightening my pony tail. "What if I had have been having a brain aneurysm? What if that tug of my hair jolted some unknown nerve that sent a shock to my brain, telling it to completely shut down and I'd died, right here, in this chair?"

"That would have sucked," he said solemnly, "considering I need you in order to pass my class."

"I'm so glad my existence is only relevant while it's benefiting you," I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Tell me, _why _aren't you going into a people-helping profession, again?"

"I am," he pointed out. "_Dead_ people"

"Yes, quite fitting," I replied. "I'm glad I'd be getting _something_ out of you, then, if I died on the spot."

"Mmm, no, not really. But it's good to know you _want_ something out of me," he replied, cheekily, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, can it. Lets get this shit over with," I said, gesturing to his book. He nodded and pushed it towards me, grabbed his pencil and opened his notebook, and waited for me to start quizzing him.

*

"Nooo," he groaned, resting his forehead on his folded arms.

"I know, I'm sorry. I really tried to find you a replacement, but I couldn't. You have all my notes, though," I reasoned, nodding sympathetically as he sat up and sighed heavily. "And I made you a little mini review," I added, handing it over to him. "Just keep going over everything we've gone over and you'll be fine. You're ready for this. You can do it." I patted his forearm encouragingly and handed him his schedules to sign.

"I'm glad _you're_ confident in me," he grumbled, signing and initialing where necessary before handing them back to me.

"I am," I said with a definitive nod.

"Well, I appreciate you taking the time to do this," he said, waving the notes and review in the air before sticking them in a pocket inside his binder with a sigh. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Nowhere. My best friend is coming to visit, and it's his first time in San Francisco," I said with a shrug. "Plus, I haven't seen him in about a year and a half, so I want to spend as much time with him as I can."

"Ah," he said, nodding as he looked down at the table.

"You'll do _fine_, Edward," I said sternly.

"Thanks," he said, still sounding unconvinced. I pursed my lips as I stared at his pitiful expression while he packed all of his things up, and made a split-second decision.

"Okay, look," I said, scratching the top of my head. "I'll tell you what. I'm going to give you my number, and if you seriously need help with any of it, you can call me and we'll figure something out, okay?"

"Seriously? Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm confident you won't harass me with creepy, stalker-like calls," I said with a smirk.

"Hardly," he snorted, pulling his phone out. I opened my mouth to snap at him for the remark, but stopped myself short. It was hardly rational to feel offended about the fact that he was _sane_ and didn't want to stalk me; it wasn't like I _wanted _that, so it was pointless. "Okay, what is it?"

"I'll put it in," I said, plucking the phone out of his hands. "While I know _you_ won't abuse it, I'm not so sure about Yorkie, over there," I said, nodding my head back and to my left slightly as I inputted my name and number.

"You've got a fan club, too, huh?" he asked as I saved my information to his phone and handed it back to him. He was smirking, his eyes full of amusement, and I crossed my arms over my chest and sunk slightly in my seat.

"Sure, if you consider one member a club," I replied, shifting uncomfortably as I picked at a non-existent scab on my arm.

"I doubt he's the only one, Bella." My eyes flashed up to his face, and he looked just as shocked as I felt that he'd said that. "Uh," he started, clearing his throat. "I should probably get going. Gotta study as much as possible." He chuckled lightly and stood up, grabbing his backpack and shrugging it on. "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

I waved and watched him walk out the door and across the hall before sighing and putting all my notes away. 4 to 5 was _my_ "open hour" and it was surprisingly rare that I had anybody come in for Statistics. I ran a hand through my hair and looked at the dry erase board to my right, following the length of it with my eyes and cringing slightly at all the errant black and red marks people forgot to erase. I was slightly obsessive-compulsive when it came to that. It made my skin crawl whenever people missed a spot, and I always had to fight the urge to sprint to it and catch whatever they'd missed.

"What are you _doing_?" I heard. I turned my head back around quickly at the sound—I'd pretty much turned in the opposite direction to look down the length of the board—and frowned intensely as I saw Jessica standing in front of me, a hand on her hip.

"What are _you_ doing _here_ is the more accurate question," I retorted, straightening up in my seat.

"I'm here for tutoring, duh," she said with a roll of her eyes, sitting down in the seat Edward had previously occupied. I raised an eyebrow as she took out—shockingly—a Statistics book and thumped it on the table.

"Okay...what exactly do you need help with?"

"This probability stuff," she said, opening the book and pointing to a page in chapter 4. "I don't get it." I sighed and launched into an explanation of the section, asking her questions to make sure she understood which she surprisingly did. I gave her a problem from the book to complete and within a few minutes, she'd finished it and it was _correct_. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked up at her skeptically.

"I don't understand the problem, then. It seems to me that you 'get it' just fine."

"Okay," she sighed, placing both of her palms firmly on the table and turning to me. "I'll admit that I'm not really here for tutoring."

"Uh...then what _are_ you doing here?"

"I've seen you and Edward talking and stuff, so you know him, right?"

"Cullen?" I asked, then immediately cringed. I sincerely hoped she already knew his last name, or _he _might be getting a stalker soon.

"Is that his last name?" she asked excitedly.

_Guess that answers it._

"What about him?"

"Is he gay?" she asked. I stared at her blankly, wondering whether it'd be easier to _kick_ her in the face, or throw the book. Was she serious? I started to tell her that _just_ because he didn't want her STD-ridden vag, it didn't make him gay, but then I remembered his "coming out" story and his plea for me to go along with it. I wondered if he'd ran into her in the hall as he was leaving, and laughed at all the scenarios that ran through my mind of his escape tactics.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, snapping me out of my humorous imaginings.

"Yes, he's gay. Very gay," I said with conviction.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"But he slept with Lauren!" she argued.

"Who?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"My friend, Lauren Mallory. He slept with her last semester." She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "Unless she was _lying_. Do you think she was lying?" she asked me, wide-eyed. I was too caught up in the fact that Edward had slept with _any _of these bimbos, and quite frankly, I was grossed out. Completely. That didn't stop me from using the situation to my advantage, though.

"No, she's not lying," I said.

"But...you said—"

"He was really struggling with his sexual identity for most of the year. He sort of figured that if he slept with a girl, maybe he'd know for sure, and he was right," I shrugged, pulling my ponytail over my shoulder and examining the ends. "He was totally turned off." I paused and looked up, thoughtfully. "I guess she sort of sealed his fate, then, because he's been strictly-dickly ever since."

"So Lauren _turned_ him gay?" she half-shrieked.

"I suppose you could say that," I nodded, trying desperately to keep the bubbling hysteria from me saying Edward was "strictly-dickly" down.

"Ohmygod, I can't _wait_ to tell her!" she laughed, shoving her book and notebook into her shoulder bag before grabbing it and scurrying out of the room, down the hall. Wow, what a _great_ friend. I sighed and looked at the clock. Unfortunately, Jessica had only wasted about twenty minutes of the duration of my shift. This would probably be the only time in my _life_ that I'd wish for Jessica to have stuck around just a _little_ bit longer.

~º~º~

"I'm _so _fucking hungry," I groaned to myself as I slouched in the chair at the front desk of Towers, staring up at the ceiling with my hands clasped across my stomach. It growled loudly as if to agree with me, and I sighed heavily before sitting up and grasping the mouse in my hand, refreshing my Myspace. I had a new comment and clicked on the link, leaning towards the computer screen to read it.

**_So, I'm sitting comfortably at home while you're at work, probably miserable. Ha!_**

I scowled and hit the reply link, typing furiously.

_**Fuck off, cow. Go buy me dinner, I'm starving.**_

I hit the post button and went back to my homepage, reading one of the bulletin surveys someone did. I made a mental note to do some of them later in my shift, since I knew I'd be bored out of my mind. I refreshed the homepage again and saw I had another comment then clicked on the link.

**_Go get your own damn dinner. I'm not your maid, bitch._**

"_Bitch_," I said under my breath, chuckling.

"Is that what you're calling me, now?" I looked up and saw Edward leaning on the top counter of the desk, grinning crookedly.

"Pretty much," I conceded before grinning back. "Where are you off to?"

"Village Market to get some pizza. They just took a few out of the oven." I groaned and closed my eyes; their pizza was the _best_, and they gave huge slices which I felt in need of at that moment. "What was _that_ for?"

"I'm _starving_," I complained, rubbing my growling stomach and throwing my head back.

"What kind do you want?" he asked. I opened my eyes and looked down slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"What kind of pizza do you want? I'll get you a slice."

"No, it's okay. I don't have any cash on me, but I appreciate the offer," I said, lowering my head and smiling.

"Don't worry about it. You're potentially giving up some of your time off to help me with my math if I need it. The least I could do is buy you dinner. Besides, I may be doing the entire building a favor in doing so. Nobody wants to deal with the wrath that is a bitchy Bella," he teased. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't," he said, mocking me from earlier. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. "See? It's already starting."

"A slice of cheese pizza, then," I replied, ignoring his last statement.

"_Just_ cheese? How boring!"

"_Fine_. Supreme."

"That's more like it," he said with a wink before pushing himself off the counter and walking to the doors.

"And a Coke! Ooh, and a bag of Doritos!" I yelled after him. He waved in acknowledgement as he walked through the last set of automatic doors and turned to the right, disappearing from my sight.

He returned ten minutes later with a plastic bag around his wrist and a paper plate in each hand, a slice of Supreme pizza on both. My mouth watered just at the sight of it, and I willed his steps to move faster as he veered towards the desk. He set both plates on the counter and rummaged through the bag, producing a bottle of Coke and a bag of regular Doritos.

"Oh, man. I'm pretty much in love with you right now," I gushed, licking my lips and reaching for it all as he pushed it towards me.

"Is that all it takes with you, Swan? Jeez, where have _you_ been all my life?" he laughed, shaking his head as I picked up the pizza earnestly.

"In Phoenix," I replied, too hungry to make a smart ass comment. I put the pizza up to my mouth and took a huge bite, closing my eyes and moaning as I chewed. "Fucking amazing," I muttered with my mouth still full. I heard him chuckle again and opened my eyes, grinning as I swallowed. "Thank you so much."

"No problem. Mind some company?" I looked up at him in surprise before shaking my head slowly.

"Um...no, not at all. Let me just get another chair," I mumbled, setting the pizza down. I opened one of the drawers and grabbed the keys to the back room before standing up and turning to unlock it. I spotted another swivel chair immediately after I opened the door and walked in, grabbed it, then wheeled it back out and next to mine at the desk. I pulled my chair over slightly to give him a little more room before sitting down, and he walked around the side with his plate and the paper bag, set them down on the counter and turned the chair around, straddling it and leaning his chest against the back.

"You should add me on there," he said, nodding to the computer screen as he took a bite of pizza. "Mmm, this _is _amazing."

"What's your URL?" I asked, taking another bite before setting the pizza back down and wiping my hands on my jeans.

"I boned your mom," he replied.

"Excuse me?!" I screeched, turning to him with a murderous glare.

"That's my URL!" he corrected quickly. "Here, I'll just...type it in." He grabbed the keyboard and typed in the URL and, sure enough—/ibonedyourmom.

Endearing.

He hit the add button and confirmed it after doing so, then logged out , signed into his and accepted the add before logging out again.

"There," he nodded, picking up and taking a bite of his pizza.

"Cool," I replied, opening the bag of Doritos and stuffing one in my mouth. "So, did Jessica corner you in HSS this afternoon?"

"No, I managed to dodge her, thank _god_."

"She came in to pay me a little visit," I said, taking a drink of my soda to wash down the chips. He raised his eyebrow and took another bite of pizza, licking his lips as he chewed. "She claimed to need help with her math, which she actually _understood_, surprisingly enough, but then she just like...badgered me about your sexuality."

"Oh, _god_," he replied with his mouth full, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. She kept going on about how you slept with her friend, Lauren, which I have to say I'm extremely disappointed in. You have _horrible _taste, my friend," I said, frowning in disapproval. He cringed, swallowed the bite he was chewing and nodded.

"I also considered sleeping with the lawn gnome that was in the living room, in my defense."

"But you didn't."

"And I'm _still _reaping the consequences, seven months later," he grunted. "I was drunk. I blame the whole disaster on Emmett."

"Excuses, excuses. Anyway, I had a little fun with it. I pretty much told her that this Lauren girl turned you gay forever." He immediately started choking and I jumped, startled, before grabbing his bottle of Dr. Pepper and lifting it to his face. He grabbed it and took a long gulp before setting it back on the desk, taking a deep breath. "Are you okay?" I chuckled, patting him on the back roughly a few times.

"Yeah, I was just a little caught off guard. What'd she say?" he laughed, taking another drink.

"She ran out of the room saying she couldn't wait to tell her friend, so I'm pretty positive this little charade has finally paid off."

"I'm on the verge of kissing you right now," he said, seriously.

"Stop being weird!" I shrieked, covering my face as I felt it heating up. He laughed and nudged my foot as I cursed my stupid complexion. I didn't even know why I was blushing in the first damn place!

"Aw," he cooed playfully. "Don't worry, Bella. I wouldn't actually _do_ it." I dropped my hands from my face and stared at him blankly.

"Thanks. That makes me feel..._so_ much better," I said sarcastically. Jesus...like it'd be blasphemy for him to kiss me.

"No! I didn't mean it like that, I just meant—"

"Don't worry about it," I chuckled, waving him off as I took a drink of my Coke. It didn't matter. I wouldn't have _wanted_ him to kiss me. It'd be...just, no.

"So," he started as he cleared his throat, "why is your friend coming, anyway? I mean, why not just wait until you go home?" He turned my bag of chips toward him and stole a few.

"Hey!" I frowned, smacking his hand. "Mine."

"_Hey_," he mimicked, "I bought them."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "Anyway, he'd mentioned visiting here and I wanted him to. It'll be his first time in San Francisco. And he doesn't live in Phoenix," I said, taking another bite of pizza. Yum.

"Did he go away to college, too?"

"No, he's pretty much already doing what he wants to do, I think." Edward furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation, trying to work it out in his brain but obviously failing.

"He's from Washington," I said. "My dad lives there and is best friends with Jake's dad, so we hung out whenever I was shipped up there for the summer and just became really close," I shrugged. "Have been ever since."

"Ah, I got it. Seattle?" he asked, biting off the side of the crust and licking his lips.

"Nope. Actually," I smirked, looking down at my lap, "I believe you're quite familiar with my father. At least, according to Emmett."

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, eying me carefully.

"Chief Swan."

"What about hi—oh shit, that's your _dad_?" he exclaimed, wide-eyed. I chuckled and nodded. "So then, you spent your summers in Forks?" I nodded again and took a drink of my soda.

"Yup," I replied after I'd swallowed, patting my chest and letting out a long belch before grinning.

"Charming," he said.

"I know," I said, cheekily.

"I wonder why I never met you, then," he said quietly, staring at the automatic doors.

"I never knew any of the kids there, besides Jake and his sisters, then the guys later on down the line. But they all lived in La Push, anyway, so why _would _I have met you?"

"True," he agreed, nodding. "So what are your plans for Spring Break?"

"Going to visit my dad," I laughed, tearing off some of my crust and stuffing it in my mouth.

"Really? That's cool," he nodded, finishing off his crust and brushing his hands across his lap. "We should hang out or something, since everybody else is leaving me in the dust."

"Aw, poor baby," I joked.

"I know. Even my parents are abandoning me, for Chicago." He sighed dramatically.

"Well I'll check on your vitality here and there," I said with a smirk. "Maybe you can actually show me what there is to _do_ in that damn town."

"I'm sure you've pretty much seen it all," he laughed, shaking his head. "We can figure out something, though."

"Deal," I grinned.

We talked for a little while longer before he stretched, looked at the time—9:17 PM; it hadn't seemed like that much time had passed—and said he should probably head back upstairs.

"Okay. Thanks for the company, and for dinner."

"No problem," he shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What time do you get out of here?"

"11:30," I replied, tightening my ponytail.

"I'll walk you home."

"Thanks, but I'll be okay."

"Bella, it's too late for you to be walking alone. We've been over this," he frowned, bending his right elbow and leaning it against the desk.

"_Edward_, I've been walking home by myself at all hours of the night for almost two years, and I've managed just fine without a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. I have mace in my purse, just in case."

He sighed and eyed me for a few minutes before grunting a consent and turning to walk towards the elevators. "You better let me know when you get home, then!" he yelled once he rounded the corner.

"Okay, _dad_," I joked. I'd need to meet his mother some day and thank her for raising her son properly.

*

"What the hell," I grumbled, looking at the clock _again_, for the tenth time. It was 11:41 PM, and the next person on the schedule hadn't shown up to relieve me of my duties, nor had he called to let me know he was going to be late. I tapped my finger tips on the desk and looked around impatiently for a few moments before huffing and pulling the binder of employee contact numbers out from under the desk. I flipped it open and skimmed through a few pages before locating Tyler Crowley's number and picking up the phone. Before I had a chance to enter all the numbers, he burst through the doors, out of breath.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he apologized, shaking his head slightly. "I didn't think I'd be so late."

"It's fine," I sighed, hanging up the phone and clocking out. "You might _call_ next time you're going to be late, regardless of _how_ late you think you might be." I logged off of the computer, pushed the chair back and stood up, grabbing my backpack and pulling the straps over my shoulders as he continued to apologize.

"It's _fine_, Tyler," I repeated, slightly annoyed. "I'll see you later." I waved and walked out the doors, silently cursing myself for not bringing a jacket. I shivered slightly and felt around my pockets for my keys before remembering I'd stuck them in my backpack. I shrugged off a strap and swung my bag around to my chest, opening the front zipper, but I kept hearing a weird noise as I dug around for them. It stopped, but only for a second before starting up again. I felt my keys at the same time I felt vibrations, and it registered in my brain a little too late that the noise had probably been my phone. I grabbed it and pulled it out just as the screen telling me I'd missed the call popped up. Actually, I'd missed about _three_ calls, plus the little envelope at the top signaling I had a text, all from a number I didn't recognize with a 360 area code. I zipped up my backpack and furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I swung it behind me again and shrugged on the strap. I thought for a second that maybe Jake had gotten a new number, but he hadn't mentioned it earlier when we'd been on the phone, so I quickly excused that idea.

I looked both ways before crossing the street to the divider, then crossing it again to the sidewalk. Once I was safely walking forward, I went to check the text message, but my phone started buzzing and the screen showed that I had an incoming call from that same damn number. I hit the accept button and put it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Bella? Are you okay?"

"Uh...yeah, who is this?" I asked. Definitely not Jake.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," the guy muttered into the phone.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's not who you are. Unless you have DID, in which case, please stop blowing up my phone," I replied, looking around cautiously. Who _was _this whack job?

"This is Edward," he said, chuckling lightly.

"Oh!" I said, relaxing instantly. Thank god. "Wait, why were you calling me so damn much? I thought you weren't going to harass me, stalker!"

"It's ten minutes to midnight, Bella. You said you'd let me know when you got home after work."

"I'm _not_ home. The idiot who was scheduled after me was fifteen minutes late," I snapped, rolling my eyes. "Jeez, are you this overbearing with _every_ girl you know? No wonder you're still single."

"_No_, because most of them aren't quite so stubborn, _or_ accident prone," he retorted. "And I'm single by choice!"

"Oh, bite me."

"No thanks. You know, I was already outside of the dorm, walking my ass towards your apartment when you _finally_ answered."

"Nobody asked you to do that, hotshot. I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor."

"Well excuse me for not wanting you to get mugged, kidnapped and raped!"

Oh, god. I rounded the corner near the small hut-like parking garage and looked both ways before crossing the street. It probably wasn't the nicest thing to do in this situation, but I couldn't resist the urge to play a joke on him

"Were you in drama during high school? Because you sure seem like a professional at overexaggera—ohmygod!" I gasped, pulling the phone away from my mouth to make it sound like I was being yanked away and snickering quietly as I heard him frantically yelling through the speaker. I put the phone back to my ear and laughed loudly as he yelled that he was coming back outside to "rip your dick off if you hurt her!"

"Bella? Bella, what the—are you...you're _laughing_?!" he asked incredulously. "You're fucking laughing! What the fuck, that wasn't fucking funny!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry," I snorted, covering my mouth as I turned right to walk along the path leading to the front of my building. "I couldn't resist."

"That was shady, Isabella."

"Uh oh, full name usage. I'm in trouble," I joked, wavering my voice slightly to fake sounding afraid.

"Burn in hell."

I managed to get in a quick, "I'll see you there!" before the beep in my ear signaled that he'd hung up on me. I laughed silently and shoved my phone in my pocket as I bounded up the stairs, pulling open the door after I typed in the code and walking into the lobby. I scurried to my front door and unlocked it hurriedly, hanging up my keys on the hook as I walked into the entry way. The living room lamp was on, but everything else was dark, which probably meant that Angela was home, and asleep. I walked over to the glass table to check the mail. Bills, bills, and more bills. I sighed and threw them back down before walking towards the hall, humming "Bills" by Destiny's Child; slightly irrelevant, but all the bills brought it to the front of my mind. Angela's door was closed—yup, definitely home.

I pushed open the door to my room and walked inside, closing it softly before flipping up the light switch, throwing my backpack on the ground and toeing off my shoes. I flopped onto my bed and sighed heavily, running my hands over my face before resting them on my stomach. I laid there for a few moments, looking up at the ceiling before rolling my head to the right, my gaze landing on my desk. I heaved myself up and went over to it, opening my lap top and powering it on. I waited for it to load before opening Safari and logging into Myspace. I had a new comment and remembered that I hadn't ever replied to Rosalie's last comment. I also had the alert of having a new friend, and I smirked; I'd get back to him. I clicked on the comment link and rolled my eyes as I read it.

**_Did you die of starvation? Can I have your Mac Book if you did?_**

I wrestled my phone out of my pocket and went to my call log, scrolling until I came upon Rosalie's name. I hit send and waited as "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground played.

"I guess this means I'm stuck with my HP," she answered without preamble.

"Don't sound so excited to hear of my well being," I snorted.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm glad you're alive. What the hell happened to you, though?"

"I...got distracted. Sorry."

"With?" she prodded.

"Ah...Edward bought me dinner and we got to talking for a little bit," I mumbled, hoping she didn't catch any of that.

"Oh _really_? Interesting," she said, humming in contemplation.

"Sure, sure. ANYWAY," I said quickly, determined to change the subject. "I need you to take me shopping tomorrow."

"I think I've died and gone to heaven," she breathed out. "Where do you want to go? What are you looking for? Do you have a date? Ooh, you do, don't you?!"

"What? No!" I exclaimed, staring at the wall like I would have stared at Rose, had she been in front of me. "I meant _grocery_ shopping, you moron. Like I'd ever _ask _to go shopping for clothes," I snorted.

"Damn. I knew it was too good to be true," she sighed. "Oh well. Why don't you just order online?"

"That was the plan, until Jake took ten years to finalize the grocery list. Safeway doesn't have any decent time frames anymore. Plus, they always fuck up my order, and I don't feel like dealing with it. It'll be cheaper and easier if you just take me."

"Ah, yes. When is the dog coming, again?" I rolled my eyes. She'd taken to calling him "dog"after I'd told her of the Quileute legend that claimed they evolved from wolves. Jake thought it was hilarious, but it was annoying as hell to me.

"Friday night," I said, squirming excitedly.

"Aw, Bella's _excited_. Are you gonna get it on with him?"

"Rosalie!" I screeched, immediately cringing as I remembered Angela was sleeping. "Absolutely not. Ew...no."

"Fine," she laughed. "I suppose I could use some groceries, too. What time should we go, then?" We made arrangements to go the next evening after I got out of tutoring, bid each other good night and hung up. I moved my finger across the track pad to make the screen saver go away and went back to my homepage, clicking the alert I had left over. Edward's picture popped up and the 'online now' icon was up, so I clicked the link to send him a comment.

_**Are you over it yet? :) Oh, and by the way, I'm home. lol**_

I clicked the button to post it and went to check out his profile. His 'About Me' was laughable; written in his typical, arrogant, asshole style, and talking about how "all the bitches want some of this." I snorted. Right. I looked at his first album of pictures next and found the randomness of each one to be humorous. They all had him with the most _ridiculous_ looks on his face. He obviously was _not_ lucky with the camera. All the bitches wanted some of him? Yeah, not with _those_ pictures as a reference, they wouldn't. I went to the next album labeled "Famizzle & Friends"—that topped _all _of it, considering he was like, the whitest person next to myself that I knew—and immediately took back my previous thought of how the camera didn't like him. The first picture was him and his parents. I pretty much almost touched myself when my eyes scanned over his _dad. _I scrambled to hit the comment link and typed quickly.

_**Holy baby Jesus, that is one fine piece of man. Think your mom would mind him having me on the side? :D**_

I snickered and hit the submit button before continuing on through the rest of the album. Most of them were pictures of him and Emmett, or him and a tiny, black-haired girl. I suspected this was the Alice Jasper had told me about, and the caption under one of the later pictures confirmed it. Towards the end of the album, I saw pictures of him and a beautiful strawberry-blond; some candid, some formal. Either way, they looked great together, and from their body language in the pictures they looked to be very much _together_. I frowned; he hadn't mentioned having a girlfriend. Not that it mattered. My curiosity _was_ slightly piqued, though, so just for shits and giggles I went back to his profile and scrolled down to his stats.

Huh. It said single. Maybe he was a _playa_. Psh. I couldn't see him having the skills to pull that off. I clicked on the home button and grinned when I saw that I had a new comment and clicked on the link.

**_Yeah, I gathered as much. -rolls eyes-  
And I don't know if she'd mind, but I sure as fuck would, homewrecker!_**

I cracked up and hit the reply link.

_**Aw, come on. You mean you wouldn't want me as your sort-of step-mommy?**_

I kept refreshing my home page until I saw the alert a few minutes later and clicked on it.

**_Yooooou dis-_gust _me. lol I'm going to sleep now. Good night._**

I laughed and replied with my own good night before shutting down my lap top and getting ready for bed. I hooked my phone up to the charger and turned off my lamp before climbing under my covers, thankful that I'd forced myself to wake up a little earlier to take a shower that morning. I closed my eyes and sighed heavily before snuggling into my pillow. I was out like a light within five minutes.

* * *

**End Notes: **Review, cos it makes me happy like this. :D The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll post the second part of the chapter...


	13. Chapter 12: DID & DOG Pt 2

**Chapter Notes: **

I'm pleased with the overwhelming response. Apparently, the first part was your favorite chapter of this story _ever_, even though I know it's only because E/B are finally getting along. lol. This second part of the story is 18 pages long, but I have a feeling some of you aren't going to be too pleeeeeased. Oh, well. _I_ like it. :)

Thanks to my lovah, Hannah, for the brilliant shopping idea that brought the lulz while I was writing it, and thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You make my day(s). :)

Also, the second chapter of _Back To You _will be posted on Friday over at Twilighted, and it's my chapter in Bella's POV, so make sure you read it and review.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: What I own: The right to laugh hysterically at anybody and everybody that falls, including myself.  
What I don't own: The Cullen's, the Swan's, the Black's...wow, sounds a little like it's own version of "It's A Small World."

* * *

Chapter Song: Pony - Erin McCarley

* * *

_-B-_

I burst out of the glass door of HSS at 5:05 PM after running through the building and down the stairs, with my phone pressed to my ear.

"HSS Math Tutoring, this is An—"

"Yorkie touched my boob!" I shouted, cutting her off as I hunched over and tried to catch my breath.

"What?!" Angela shrieked. "How?"

"I don't know! He touched my shoulder, and then his hand slid, and he tried to make it like it was an accident but it _totally_ wasn't, and then I just bolted out of there," I rambled, standing upright and inhaling deeply. "I need you to clock me out. 903475955."

"I'm gonna beat his ass," she mumbled, the clacking of the keyboard flowing through the speaker of my phone.

"I'll get Jake to do it," I said, perking up immediately at the thought. Angela laughed and told me that I'd been successfully clocked out. I thanked her and told her I'd see her when I got home later that night before hanging up and walking towards the Administration building around the corner. Rose had said she'd park there and wait, though she was probably parked in a red zone considering there was _never_ any available parking on the streets. With that thought I pushed myself to walk faster, rounding the corner. I immediately spotted her BMW closer to the end of the building, and I started to jog towards it to get there faster. Yup, definitely in a red zone.

"You're lucky no cops have come by," I said after I'd opened the door. I climbed in, set my bag on the floor and closed the door. She looked over her left shoulder briefly before pulling out and speeding down Holloway Avenue as I buckled my seat belt.

"Whatever, I'd be able to get out of a ticket," she shrugged, slowing as she approached a van. I hummed in agreement as she shouted, "Move it, asshole!" at the offending vehicle. I had a hard time believing she wasn't from California, with her road rage the way it was. She claimed that it came from driving in the city so much; that once you became accustomed to the madness that was San Francisco traffic, you were stuck like that for good. I wasn't going to attempt to prove her wrong, either.

The van turned down Tapia as she continued onto Font, making a full circle at a round-a-bout divider and curving around a second before driving back up Holloway. She turned left at the light on 19th Avenue and drove straight down until we reached Taraval. Safeway was within two blocks of the turn, and we made our way into the parking garage before pulling into a slot on the top level, nowhere near the elevators. At least we would be able to take the carts out of the store with us. I grabbed my wallet out of my backpack and climbed out of the car as Rosalie slammed her door, leaning against it as I closed mine. She pressed the button to lock up and we made the ten mile trek—well, it felt like it, at least—to the elevators and down to the store, each of us grabbing a cart before we walked through the automatic doors.

"Gah, I _hate_ shopping," I groaned, watching all the people bustling around the store. "This is why I always do it online."

"Well you don't have that option, so shut up," she said bluntly. I snorted out a laugh. She was such a bitch, and I loved her for it. "We can still make this fun." She grinned and started forward, making her way to the deli section.

*

"Okay," she said lowly, turning to face me with a devious smirk on her face. "Here's how it works. You look for the least likely person to need an item that would embarrass the hell out of them at the check-out stand, but you have to make sure you hide it well so that it actually makes it _up _there."

"And you're sure this'll work?" I laughed.

"Yes, I used to do it all the time back home. It's flawless, assuming you don't trip over the person's cart as you're dumping the shit in."

"It's not unheard of," I said, grinning. She grabbed two boxes of Super Plus Tampax Pearls and handed one to me while placing the other in the front of her cart. I followed suit and grabbed a small bottle of Summer's Eve, snickering as Rose grabbed a few boxes of Monistat 3. We rounded the corner where the condoms and such were, and Rose grabbed about five boxes of Trojan Magnums, dispersing them between our two carts.

"_Astroglide?_" I squeaked, erupting into a fit of giggles as my eyes landed on the box of lube. She grinned and gestured for me to toss her a box. I grabbed two, then reached up and grabbed two boxes of waterproof vibrators as well.

"Hand in hand, my friend," I said, tossing a box of each to her. She snorted in laughter and rested her head on the bar of the cart before taking a deep breath and starting forward. She grabbed a box of Vagisil wipes quickly before we exited the aisle and looked over her shoulder at me.

"Okay, now for the fun part," she said, wiggling her eyebrows and turning down the deodorant aisle. I followed her and watched as she grabbed the wipes and box of tampons and casually dropped them into a young man's cart; he was completely enraptured with checking out the electric shavers. She looked around to make sure nobody was watching her and carefully pulled up a few bulky items from his cart before placing them over the items she'd stuck in, then walked off as if she were simply passing by. I pursed my lips together and walked by, shoving the small bottle of Summer's Eve in the corner of his cart before turning the corner and catching up to Rose. I laughed as quietly as I could, covering my mouth to muffle any sound that may have attracted attention to the scene. The surrounding possible vitcims of this scheme needed to remain distracted.

Rosalie stopped when we'd reached the pharmacy and turned to face me, lifting the box of condoms and nodding her head towards an elderly man standing near the Aspirin. I gaped at her and shook my head, mouthing "no!" repeatedly as she nodded and mouthed "yes!" before making her way over to him. She looked around before soundlessly dropping them into the cart, not even bothering to cover them up. I sighed. Well, the damage was already done.

_Might as well make it worth it_.

I pushed my cart towards him and grabbed the lube and the waterproof vibrator before placing them as far back and out of his immediate sight as I could before sprinting out of the aisle, spotting Rosalie putting her Astroglide in a middle-aged man's cart. I couldn't keep down my laughter anymore and it came out, _loudly_, startling the man as he turned to look at me. Rosalie ran with her cart like a bat out of hell for fear of getting caught, which caused me to laugh even harder as I slumped against my cart, following in the direction I'd seen her go.

I took deep breaths to calm myself and walked past a few aisles, searching for signs of her. I eventually found her in the baby aisle, attempting to look casual as she stuffed the remainder of the items we'd snatched behind diapers and baby shampoo. I grinned and made my way over to her, nudging her cart with mine as I approached it. She jumped and turned around, startled, before glaring at me and shoving the remaining boxes on the shelf.

"I'm sorry," I said, snickering again. "I didn't mean to do that. I was just—" I started laughing heartily again as she continued to glare at me. "I shoved the lube and vibrators in that old man's cart after you walked by, and I just kept picturing his face when he pulled them out at the register." She immediately started snorting in laugher and I grabbed my remaining items as well, shoving them next to the wipes. "Why would you taint such an innocent aisle?"

"Asks the girl who's shoving extra-large condoms behind a box with the face of a baby staring straight at her," she retorted.

"It's an obvious attempt to make parents feel like shit every time they pass this aisle," I said. "What could have been prevented had they used one."

"Or maybe it's _exactly_ what they used, and he was a bit under-equipped."

"That's a very good theory, my friend," I nodded, turning back to her. "I guess we should finish our _real_ shopping, now." She grunted and pushed her cart forward with me following behind as we went into the shampoo and soap aisle.

*

It was a little after 8 PM when we walked out of the elevator and towards the car in the garage.

"Gah, I'll _take_ the late delivery if it means I never have to do this again," I groaned, dragging my feet across the pavement.

"I agree," Rosalie sighed, digging her keys out of her purse as it sat in the front of the cart.

"Stupid fucking boys," I grumbled. "All his fault I had to endure this. He better be appreciative."

"He won't be." I turned my head to her slowly and glared.

"Could you humor me, please? Just once?"

"Okay. He'll sweep you up into a big hug once he sees the stocked pantries and fridge, and gush about what an _amazing _friend you are, and how it must have been such a hardship for you to go to the store and buy all those things with your hard earned money. Suddenly, he'll be dressed in a puffy white shirt that's almost completely unbuttoned as a giant _fan_ appears and turns on, blowing his long hair back like Fabio, and then he'll sweep you away—"

"Okay, asshole. That's enough," I yelled, kicking her cart. She chortled and shrugged.

"You said you wanted humor. _I _thought that was pretty humorous, myself." I stayed silent as I fell behind her in my strides, timing the exact moment her foot lifted off the ground before kicking under her heel quickly. She staggered forward into her cart before whirling around, narrowing her eyes and clenching her jaw.

"I thought _that_ was pretty humorous," I said, grinning widely.

"Do you want to walk your ass home? 'Cos I'll leave you here, bitch," she barked, pointing her index finger at me. "Just keep in mind, you can't take that cart off of the premises, and I'll call the cops and report you for theft."

"And that's exactly why I love you, Rosalie," I chuckled, pinching her cheek. She huffed and smacked my hand away before turning around and continuing her trek towards the car.

She popped the trunk once we were within a few feet of the car, and we both frowned as we stared into the open space. It wasn't nearly _enough_ open space to fit all of our groceries. Plus, we needed to keep them separated.

"Guess we didn't think this one through," she mumbled, sighing heavily. "I suppose you can put your stuff in the back seat, but _don't_ fuck up my interior, bitch."

"It's not even a ten minute ride, princess," I said, rolling my eyes as I heard the doors unlock and opened the passenger side, pushing the seat forward.

"Homo you don't!"

"Homo you _didn't_," I replied, grinning as I started to line the seats with my bags.

"People are looking at us like we're freaks," she said monotonously.

"Then they obviously don't live here," I scoffed, grabbing three bags in each hand and transferring them to the car as well.

We finished surprisingly quickly, and I pushed the two carts together before taking them to the nearest area where they wouldn't be in the way. Fuck no was I going to go searching for the place all the carts went. I was tired, hungry, and it was too late for me to be wandering around a dark parking lot alone, although the idea of texting Edward and telling him I was doing just that was mighty tempting. I made my way back to the car and pushed the seat back before climbing in as Rosalie started the engine. She looked around before backing out, and started forward through the garage and down to the street. I kept nodding off through the duration of the short ride, and Rose elbowed me awake when we reached the front of my apartment.

"We should go to your place first," I mumbled sleepily. "You shouldn't be walking back and forth by yourself at night."

"I'm picking up Emmett after I leave here," she laughed, turning off the ignition and unbuckling her seat belt before opening her door.

"Kay." I climbed out of the car slowly and took a deep breath, shaking my head to wake myself up before pushing the seat up and grabbing a few of the bags. Rosalie was walking around the car to the sidewalk to deposit all of them, so I followed suit.

"Need a hand?" I heard, and I turned to the left to see Angela sticking her head out of the kitchen window.

"Yes, please," I half-yelled back. She ducked back into the kitchen and shut the window before walking out, pausing at the door then vanishing from my line of vision. I walked back to the car and grabbed four more bags, noting that there were only about as much left. Angela was walking down the steps as I came back to the sidewalk to deposit the bags, and I heard a door slam from behind me and assumed Rosalie had grabbed the last of them from her car.

"I'll hold the door open for you guys while you take them in," she said, placing the bags on the sidewalk and running to the stairs. I shrugged and grabbed the bags I'd just put down as Angela grabbed a few as well, and we started towards the door. Rosalie was standing with her back against it to hold it open as we hurriedly walked through the frame and lobby, up the few steps and through our open front door—Angela had put a wooden stopper under it to keep it propped open. We made about three trips back and forth before all of the bags were sitting on our kitchen counters. I walked back out to hug Rose and thank her for taking me shopping before grabbing my backpack from her car, waving goodbye and going back to the apartment. I kicked the stopper out of the way and grabbed the door, closing it softly. With a heavy sigh, I dropped my bag and walked the few steps into the kitchen to find Angela sorting through the groceries.

"No, Ang, you don't have to do that," I said, leaning against the frame.

"You look exhausted," she said, raising an eyebrow at me. "I don't mind."

"But I do," I challenged, waving her out of the kitchen. "Come on. I appreciate the offer, though." She shrugged and walked out of the kitchen, and I smiled and squeezed her forearm gently as she passed.

I spent the next 45 minutes sorting through the bags and putting things away in their respective areas while trying not to collapse on the kitchen floor. After everything was put away, I gathered all the plastic bags and bunched them up before shoving them under the counter. I turned the light off on my way out of the kitchen, not even wanting to bother with food. I bid Angela a good night and retreated sluggishly to my room, forfeiting the light as I pushed open the door then closed it behind me. I toed off my shoes and walked over to my bedside table, taking my phone out of my pocket and plugging the charger into it before I set my alarm. I stripped off my jeans and made my way to the dresser, pulling out a random pair of PJ shorts and slipping them on before walking back to my bed. I climbed in and laid on my stomach, covered myself up completely and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome me immediately.

I shifted slightly to the right.

My back itched, so I scratched it. Then my arm itched, so I scratched _it _before sniffing and shifting back to the left, turning my head in the opposite direction.

I flared my nostrils; it felt like I had a booger. My shoulder started itching, so I rubbed it back against the blanke—god_dammit_.

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?" I groaned, sighing to myself as my eyes flew open. Twenty minutes ago, I couldn't even _keep_ my eyes open. Hell, _five_ minutes ago I was having a hard time keeping myself upright, I was so tired. Now, as I laid comfortably in my bed surrounded by the quiet, peaceful dark, I was wide a-fucking-wake. I flopped onto my back roughly and frowned up at the ceiling.

I then realized that I was too excited to sleep; that subconsciously, the fact that Jake would be right here, in this bed with me in a little over 24 hours had overtaken the part of my brain that ordered me to sleep and had hyped it into a frenzy. I frowned even more. Stupid brain. I tossed and turned for a few minutes more before snarling in frustration and sitting upright, hastily taking out my hair tie and shaking my hair out. My phone started ringing and I looked over at it for a moment before grabbing it and looking at the screen.

_Looks like I'm not the only one._

"Hello?" I answered, sounding extremely agitated.

"I can't sleep."

"Neither can I. Thanks a lot."

"I haven't even talked to you all day!" he defended. "How is it my fault?"

"Because I'm too excited about tomorrow," I huffed, pushing my hair out of my eyes.

"You don't sound very excited," he chuckled. "You sound like you're about to murder anybody that comes within ten miles of you. Do I really want to come there anymore, Bells? Should I be fearing for my life?"

"Shut up," I barked, though I couldn't stop the smile that started to form. I sighed and laid back down, pulling the covers out from under me and straightening them out. I paused, realizing I couldn't hear anything through the phone, and pulled it away from my ear to check the screen. The call was still connected. "Hello?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"What happened?"

"You told me to shut up."

"Oh my—you're an idiot," I laughed softly.

"Yup, but you still love me."

"Yeah, yeah. So I just thought of something," I said, snuggling into my covers.

"It's a miracle!" he exclaimed.

"Fuck off. Anyway, I just realized that you might be too big for us both to fit on the bed. Looks like it's the floor for you."

"Nah, I'll just sleep on top of _you_," he said, and I knew he was probably wiggling his eyebrows with that cocky smirk on his face.

"And you'll get kneed in the balls."

"That'll be more action than these babies have seen in a while."

"I'm sorry," I laughed.

"How sorry?"

"Not sorry enough to help you with it." He barked out a laugh and I relaxed instantly, closing my eyes with a huge smile on my face.

"I cannot wait to get there, Bells," he sighed after he'd calmed down.

"Me neither," I replied, feeling sleepy again.

"Think you can sleep now?" he asked.

"Mhm. You?"

"Yup. I love you. G'night."

"Night. I love you, too," I mumbled before hanging up and putting the phone back on the bedside table. I rolled back onto my stomach and closed my eyes, curling my hands into fists against my chest. I was still excited, but I was relaxed and sleepy once again, and I passed out within minutes.

~º~º~

I glanced over at the clock again. I'd lost count after the fifth time, and that had still been in the _morning_, before I'd even left my apartment.

"Ex_cuse_ me," I heard being snapped at me, and I looked over to the walk-in who was staring at me in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked. I was being a shit tutor today, but I couldn't find it in me to be truly apologetic. I had too much on my mind.

"Are you gonna help me or not?"

"_Yes_," I said, glaring at the girl as I grabbed her book. "Okay, this is..." I trailed off, scanning over the pages. "Basic Algebra, okay."

And so it went on from there. I attempted to broaden the girl's knowledge in the extremely simple subject as she continued to get frustrated from her lack of understanding and my apparent disinterest in helping her. She had bad timing, what could I say? Speaking of time...I looked up at the clock; 5:00 PM exactly. I jumped out of my seat and started gathering my things quickly as the girl sat in shock for a moment before angrily gathering her things and marching out of the room and across the hall. I stuffed my things in my bag and zipped it up before pulling the straps on and gathering my folder of schedules. I didn't know why I was in such a hurry; Jake's flight hadn't even left. Hell, he wasn't even at the airport yet! It was about a 4 hour drive from La Push to the Sea-Tac Airport, and he'd sent me a text at 2:45 saying he and Embry were heading out, and that he'd call me once he was settled in at the gate. I knew I'd need to find some sort of distraction for the time being, though.

"Bella!"

Shit! Not _that_ distraction!

I started towards the door in a hurry, not even giving half a shit if I hurt his feelings. Molesting me without my permission tended to diminish my conscience.

"Bella, wait!" he shouted after me.

"Not now, Yorkie!" I bellowed, walking out of the door and across the hall. "Get him _out _of my face!" I hissed to Angela, walking behind the desk and maneuvering around her to clock out.

"Did he squeeze your fun jugs again?" she asked, trying in vain not to laugh. I snorted and typed in my information before clocking out, then backed away, shaking my head.

"No, but he's gonna get a kick to _his_ if he comes after me in the hall." She leaned to her right and peered into the room across the hall.

"He looks busy enough right now. If you make a run for it, I'll cover for you if he tries to follow," she said with a grin. "Oh, and you got your very first complaint today. Congratulations."

"Fuck it. It's my last day before I'm off for two weeks," I shrugged. I saluted her and crept towards the door, peering anxiously around the frame and into the tutoring room before taking off down the hall at full speed. I kept running until I reached the stairwell, only stopping at that point because I was afraid I'd trip and fall down the stairs. All the hurry would have been for nothing if I broke my neck. Alas, I made it out of the building in one piece, and I decided to take the long, detoured route home just to take up some time. I walked slowly, taking in my surroundings. I stopped at the little mini mart and purchased some soda and chips, then continued my trek through the forest-like neighborhood. It was only 45 minutes later that I walked through the door to my apartment. Angela was home by then and came out of her room with a raised eyebrow as she heard the door close.

"Where the hell have _you_ been?" she asked, leaning against the back of the couch.

"I got bored," I said, hanging up my keys and shrugging. "I took the long way home."

"Ever the impatient one," she chuckled. "What time does he get in?"

"10:04," I sighed. "Any mail?"

"Not today."

"I'm gonna go finish up my homework, then." She nodded and walked back down the hall to her room as I followed, shrugging off my backpack when I walked into my room. I tossed it next to my desk and went over to my window, unlocking it and pushing it up halfway. I breathed in the fresh smelling air before walking back over to my desk, pulling out the chair and bending down to unzip my backpack. I pulled my things out and started working on my homework for my Critical Thinking class. At least, I _attempted_ to. It was hard trying to "critically think" when your mind wouldn't focus on anything but the fact that time passed way, _way _too slow. I forced myself to concentrate, though, and started working my way through my study guide booklet. Halfway through the next-to-last page, my phone started vibrating in my pocket, and I threw down my pencil and wrestled it out before hitting the answer button.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Were you masturbating?!"

"No, sorry," I laughed, shaking my head. "You're never gonna catch me, Jake."

"One of these days," he reasoned. "What are you doing?"

"Doing some homework," I said, leaning back in my chair. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here. I'm at the gate. The ticket counter said they'd start boarding in about half an hour, so entertain me."

"I'm not very entertaining on the spot," I smirked, crossing my legs.

"Then I'm going home. Taxi!" he joked before chuckling.

"Okay, um...what do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?"

"A...I don't know, what?"

"A stick." I burst out laughing and heard him chuckling on the other end of the phone as well. "I have no idea why that joke is so amusing, but it's my favorite."

We stayed on the phone, talking and joking around until he said he heard his boarding call.

"I'll see you in a few hours," he said.

"Have a safe flight. Please don't die."

"I'm indestructible," he said cheekily. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Bye."

I hurried through the remaining questions in my study guide and shoved it in my binder before getting up. The clock read 7:20, and I decided to take a shower. I'd purposely skipped one this morning so that I'd have something to occupy myself with while I waited for a decent time to leave. I went over to the window and closed it, pulling the curtains together before stripping down. I stuffed my clothes in the hamper inside my closet then wrapped my towel around my body before walking across the hall to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up, taking down my ponytail and running my fingers through my hair. I opened the mirror and grabbed a new razor before hanging the towel on the rack and stepping into the shower. I hummed in contentment as the scalding water hit my skin, closing my eyes as it washed over my face. I turned around and wet my hair thoroughly before squirting some shampoo into my hand and massaging my scalp.

I washed everything meticulously and shaved everything I could think of to shave before turning off the water. It had gone cold by the time I was completely finished with my shower, and I hoped Angela wasn't in dire need of one within the next half hour or so. I wrung my hair out in the tub before stepping out,wrapping the towel around myself and opening the door, running across the hall and into my room. I closed my door behind me and went over to my bedside table to turn on the lamp before going to my dresser to get a bra, a pair of underwear and ankle socks, grabbing my lotion before I walked to my bed. I scrubbed my body dry before wrapping the towel around my hair and rubbing the lotion over my body. I slid on my underwear and hooked my bra before putting on some deodorant and walking over to my closet. I grabbed a pair of light denim frayed cut-offs and a blue and yellow plaid, fitted button up and threw them on the bed before walking back to my dresser and pulling out a white wife beater.

I unraveled the towel from my head and scrubbed at it furiously before walking to my door, opening it, and going back to the bathroom. I grabbed the hair dryer and plugged it in as I brushed my hair before meticulously drying it straight. I pushed the button that made cold air blow out and put the dryer to my face. When it didn't feel quite so hot, I applied some foundation and powder before lining my eyes with metallic silver shadow in place of eyeliner. I applied a bit of mascara as a finishing touch and walked back to my room to get dressed. I rolled up the sleeves of the shirt to my elbows and put on my white, lo-top converse before walking to my desk and booting up my lap top. I needed to check the status of his flight. I looked in the corner of the desktop and cursed. It was almost 8:30 and the 17 bus that would take me to the front of the school was scheduled to pull up at 8:32—I'd already checked the schedules the night before so I knew when I needed to leave. I grabbed my phone and the money I'd taken out of my wallet for the trip, shoving them into my pockets before running out of my room and into the living room. I yelled a quick goodbye to Angela and snatched my keys off the hook then ran out the door. I ran through the lobby and glass door before hurrying down the steps and sprinting down the sidewalk to the bus stop. I saw it turning the corner and sat down on the bench to catch my breath as I fished $1.50 out of my pocket. I boarded the near-empty bus, paid the fare and rode it to the front of the school before catching the 28, riding it to the Daly City BART station.

I went to one of the machines and put $10 on a ticket so that I wouldn't have to worry about putting more money on it when I rode back. I took my ticket after it printed and walked to the blockades, sticking my ticket in the slot and pulling it out as it shot up through another before the barrier lifted. I walked to the escalators for the West bound trains and rode them up, tapping my fingers against the rubber railing. I went to the schedule board when I reached the platform and checked the time for the next train to SFO. I had just missed one, but that was okay because I really had no desire to sit and wait at the airport any longer than I had to.

A few bums asked me for money, some random man asked me if I smoked out or sold weed, and some lady got yelled at by the BART security over the speakers for smoking cigarettes as I waited. At 9:10, the intercom dinged and the digital overhead telecasters showed that my train was pulling in. The doors slid open immediately after it stopped and I stepped on with a crowd of people, rounding to the right and sitting in the window seat behind the railing. The doors closed soon after and the train started forward—backwards from where I was sitting—picking up speed quickly. I stared out the window at the brightly-lit city surrounded by the night sky as we passed the cars down below on the freeway. I checked my phone, just to be sure that he hadn't gotten in exceptionally early and called to ask me where the hell I was. At the sight of no missed calls or new text messages, I stuffed my phone into my pocket and relaxed against the seat. It was about a 20 minute ride to the airport, and there was no point in texting anybody since I'd be losing signal in the tunnels soon.

We pulled in at 9:30 and after exiting the station and standing in front of the International Terminal for a few minutes, debating on how to make my way across the airport, I decided to just walk it instead of taking the AirTrain. It was a 25 minute walk, roughly, and I wanted to get to the baggage claim, where we'd agreed to meet, as close to his arrival time as possible.

The digital clock near the ticket counters read 9:58 when I reached Terminal 1, and I stopped at the Arrivals screens to check on his flight. I spotted it in the second row of screens and followed the information across before groaning.

"A 15 minute delay? Are you _kidding_ me?" I heard chuckling beside me and looked to my left, seeing a woman who looked to be in her 40's staring up at the screen.

"I'm anxious, too," she said. "My son is coming in from Denver and I haven't seen him in quite some time."

"My best friend is coming in from Seattle," I replied. "I haven't seen him in about a year and a half. This airline is trying to kill me." She laughed and shook her head before turning her gaze back to the screen.

"It's always something," she sighed. "I just don't see the point of arrival times if they hardly ever actually _arrive _at that time."

"It would make sense for them to, and we can't have that," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "The world is run by complete morons."

"I agree. I'm Janice, by the way." She stuck out her hand and I took it gently, shaking it a few times.

"Bella. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

We made small talk for a bit. She asked if I was here for University—I guessed she assumed since I said I was expecting a flight from Seattle that _I _was from Seattle, but I didn't bother to correct her— what my major was, and how old I was. I asked her if she was a native, what she did for a living, why her son was in Denver and things like that.

"Is that the flight you were waiting for?" she asked, pointing to the screen. I followed her arm and smiled widely, nodding her arm. "Looks like it landed a few minutes ago, yes?"

"Thank god," I breathed. "I've been ridiculous all day long."

"Well, have a good time. It was nice chatting with you," she smiled.

"Thanks. Have a good time with your son, and thanks for distracting me." She laughed and waved as I walked away, heading towards the baggage claim. I groaned and realized I had no idea which carousel belonged to his flight, so I started making my way down the rows, checking the flights that showed above each of them to match it with his. I kept an eye out for him, just in case. He'd be impossible to miss, being as tall as he was, with his long, dark hair. He'd said he hadn't checked in any luggage, just packed everything in a carry-on, but it was still more practical to meet him at the baggage claim. I pulled out my phone and huffed. It was 10:34, and according to the screen, his flight had landed almost twenty minutes ago. I considered trying to call him, but quickly dismissed the idea since more than likely he hadn't even turned it back on.

I found the correct carousel and did a quick look around, but there weren't many people surrounding it so I assumed there were still more to come. I sighed impatiently, bouncing slightly in place as I bit my lip. I checked my phone again; _dammit_. Only two minutes had passed. I was starting to feel sick to my stomach as I stood there, looking around for any sign of him, and I couldn't understand why. There really was no need to be nervous, but again, all my irrational fears were bubbling within me. I crossed an arm over my stomach and lifted my other hand up to my mouth, biting nervously on my middle fingernail as the crowd grew and the carousel started up, a few suitcases emerging. I turned around and faced the other direction, trying to peer over the heads surrounding me.

"Goddammit," I muttered, pulling my phone out of my pocket. It wouldn't hurt to try to call him.

"Bella!"

I snapped my head up, looking around frantically for him.

"Bells, to the right!" he shouted again. I turned to the right and immediately saw his big, goofy grin towering over everybody around him. He was on the opposite side of me, one carousel behind. I shoved my phone into my pocket with my own shit-eating grin and roughly pushed through the crowd, not even bothering with the manners my parents had taught me. I kept my eyes trained on him as he pushed his way through as well, and when I got within range of him I leapt up, wrapping my arms around his neck as he bent down to scoop me up. I squealed in excitement and wrapped my legs around his waist, pressing hasty kisses all over his face.

"You made it! And you cut your hair!" I cried, cupping his face in my hands. "Why?"

"I got tired of it. You let yours grow," he replied as he kissed my cheeks and my nose. "It looks real good."

"_You _look good!" I exclaimed. "Put me down, I want to get a proper look at you." He chuckled and bent down as I lowered my legs to the ground and backed up, looking him up and down. He was wearing fitted jeans and a black hoodie covered with a leather jacket, and black Converse to finish off the ensemble. His once long hair was now cropped short with medium length spikes, and he'd definitely grown taller since the last time I saw him.

"Like what you see?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, baby," I replied huskily. His eyes widened and I laughed, smacking him in the arm. "Jesus, how tall are you now?"

"Six-foot-five," he replied smugly. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as I scanned him again.

"Must be in the water."

"Nah. You drank plenty as a kid and you're still a leprechaun," he said, lowering his arm above my head.

"Fuck off," I snapped, smacking his hand away. He chuckled as I looked around, realizing we were blocking traffic. "Come on, let's go." He nodded and grabbed my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine before starting towards the opposite direction. "How was the flight?"

"Boring. Too long."

"Basically sums up my entire day. I'm so glad you're finally here," I sighed with a smile.

"Me too, babe." He squeezed my hand and we walked in comfortable silence through the Terminal. I tugged on his hand and told him we were taking the AirTrain—I did not feel like walking all the way through the airport again. He pulled me into a hug as we waited for it to pull up, and I wrapped my arms around his hips, pressing my face into his hoodie.

"This feels firmer," I mumbled against his stomach. He laughed and rubbed his hands up and down my back soothingly as I closed my eyes and inhaled his comforting scent. When the AirTrain approached we shuffled in and took a seat next to each other. He slid off his hiking backpack—I'd been about to ask him where the hell his carry-on was—and placed it at his feet before slinging an arm around my shoulders and slouching in the seat.

"I'm fucking tired," he muttered, running a hand up and down his face roughly before sniffing. I stared at him, still in awe; he looked so grown up. He rolled his head towards me and smirked. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You're just...a _man_, now. It's hard to register." He snorted and rolled his eyes, pulling on my shoulder so I would lean into him. I turned to the side and swung my legs over his thigh before nestling under his arm, reveling in his warmth. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I sighed heavily and looked up at him.

"I love how we have absolutely _nothing _to talk about."

"I was just thinking that," he said with a grin. We made our first stop at the International Terminal and a small crowd of people boarded before we headed forward again.

"Well, think of something," I ordered, "'cos we still have another forty-five minutes to go once we board the BART."

"The who?"

"BART," I repeated. "It's like a monorail."

"Gotcha. Okay...ah! So there was this guy on the flight who kept falling asleep, then waking up every few minutes with a crazy snort, and he'd keep mumbling random shit before falling back to sleep," he said, putting his free hand across my knees. "But every time he fell asleep, he'd start moaning really loud. I mean, it was _obscenely _loud," he chuckled, shaking his head. "It was annoying but highly entertaining, if you think about it. Who has sex dreams that often?"

"How do you know it was a sex dream? What if it was a recurring nightmare about his dog getting hit by a bus or something?"

"That's the funniest part. He was rubbing himself _every time_."

"Oh, gross!" I laughed, burying my face into his side before looking back up at him.

"No shit," he agreed, shaking his head. "I mean, normally I'd try not to pay too much attention, but unfortunately the dude was sitting next to me, so I kept getting elbowed every time he'd go for the gold." I laughed harder and patted his hand.

"Poor baby," I said in a sad attempt at sympathy. We were stopping again and I looked around, recognizing the G parking garage where the BART station was located one level below. I nudged him and told him that this was our stop before swinging my legs over and sitting straight ahead. He grabbed his bag and stood up when we came to a stop, and I followed suit. I grabbed his hand and he led me out of the train as the doors slid open. I directed him towards the escalator and we took it down to the station where I purchased his ticket for him before proceeding to the platform. We only had to wait for a few minutes before the train back to Daly City pulled up, and we walked in, taking seats against the wall on the opposite side.

We rode in comfortable silence, just enjoying being in each other's presence in between small talk. When we got off the BART, we intertwined our fingers to keep us connected to each other, and as we waited for the 28, rode it back to the school and caught the 17 back to the front of my apartment complex, we maintained the physical contact. It was as if we subconsciously needed to be connected to each other as long as we were together, because it was never definite that we'd see each other again within a reasonable time interval.

"Well, this is home," I said, gesturing to the building after we stepped off the bus.

"You live in the parking lot?"

"No. I live on the playground," I said dryly. "Right over there. I sleep on the wood chips, with my head under the slide in case it rains. It's great protection."

"That's my girl," he smirked, winking at me. "Always practical."

"Come on, Big Foot," I said, rolling my eyes as I started forward and yanked him by the hand.

"You know what they say about big feet," he said in a knowing tone.

"I already know about your Joy knob, Joy knob."

"What? I was just only gonna say, 'that they're big feet', you pervert. Jeez, you really need to get laid. Get your head out of the gutter."

"Are you planning on helping me with that problem?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Would you let me?"

"Probably not," I smirked.

"That's not a no!" he exclaimed, jumping slightly. "You want me. I knew it."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, freak," I snorted, walking up the stairs at the front of the building and pressing in the code before opening the door, propping it open with my foot. He grabbed it and I walked through, fishing my keys out of my pocket and veering to the left, up the steps, and down the carpeted corridor to the front door. I unlocked both locks and pushed the door open, pressing my back against the wall to hold it for him as he ducked under the frame and walked in, looking around. Angela's head popped up from the couch and she grinned before jumping up and walking over to us.

"Hi, I'm Angela, Bella's roommate," she said, sticking out her hand, "and you're really tall. Wow."

"Actually, I'm Jacob," he chuckled, grabbing her hand and shaking it gently. "But yes, my height does tend to make the ladies swoon."

"Give me a break," I scoffed.

"Quit denying it, Bells," he sighed, throwing his arm around my shoulders. "I know you want this."

"Oh baby, oh baby," I said monotonously.

"This is going to be a fun week," Angela laughed, looking between the two of us.

"That's what I'm counting on," he grinned.

Angela excused herself and flitted down the hall to her bedroom. I shrugged and looked up at him.

"Where's my grand tour?" he asked, nudging me.

"There's not much to show. I'm sure you saw the kitchen," I said, pointing behind me. "We're currently in the living room. Come on," I waved, walking towards the hall. "This is my bathroom, and yours for the week." I pointed to the right as we passed it. "And this," I said, flipping the switch and illuminating the room as I walked in further, "is my room." I turned to look at him as he set his bag down, his eyes roaming the walls then my furniture. He smiled and moved towards my desk, picking up the frame that held my favorite picture of the two of us, taken the summer before my 18th birthday.

"I have this one in my room, too," he said, running his thumb over it gently before setting it down and resuming his scan of my room.

"What's the verdict?" I asked, tilting my head to the side with a smile.

"I like it," he nodded, his gaze locking with mine. "It suits you." I heard a knock and looked towards the open door, seeing Angela leaning against the door frame with her backpack slung over one shoulder and a duffel bag over the other.

"Where are you going?" I asked in confusion.

"Oh, I thought I'd spend some time at Ben's," she shrugged. "Just for a few days."

"And you're leaving at midnight because...?"

"Well, I figured I'd give you two some..alone time," she smirked, raising her eyebrows.

"_What?_" I screeched. Jake started cracking up as I stared at her in shock. She looked down at her phone in her hand and grinned.

"Gotta go, he's here. Bye," she said in a sing-song voice, wiggling her fingers in a wave before pushing herself off the door frame and walking away. "Have fun! See you two in a few days!"

Jake was still laughing as the door slammed shut, and I turned and smacked him hard in the chest. He flinched but kept laughing, inching closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, eying him and walking backwards toward the door cautiously.

"Starting our _alone time_," he snickered, catching me around the waist before I had a chance to make a run for it. I squealed as he swung me up bridal style into his arms and carried me to the bed in two strides before dropping me over the covers and plopping down next to me on his side.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning on my side as well to face him.

"Starving. I don't feel like getting up, though. Your bed is comfortable."

"I'll make you something," I offered, sitting upright and climbing over him to stand up. "What do you want?"

"Surprise me," he mumbled, turning over onto his back and folding his hands behind his head. I shrugged and made my way to the kitchen, opening the freezer and peering inside. He really did look exhausted, so I figured microwavable was the best choice, for tonight, at least. I finally decided on pizza rolls and grabbed them out of the freezer. I snatched a plate from the drain and opened the 40 count bag, dumping half of them onto the plate before sticking them in the microwave and turning the bag around to read the directions. I punched in the time and pressed start before twisting the bag closed and shoving it back in the freezer. I hopped up on the counter and swung my legs back and forth as I waited.

"Whatcha makin' me?"

I looked over and saw Jake leaning against the entryway, his arms folded across his chest.

"Pizza rolls."

"Yum," he said, licking his lips and rubbing his hands together.

"Go watch TV. I'll bring them out when they're done." He nodded and walked out of sight, and a few moments later I heard the TV turn on. I checked them after two minutes and cooked them for an additional 30 seconds before pulling them out and setting them on the counter. I grabbed a cup from one of the cabinets and went to the fridge, pulled out the 2 liter of Barq's Root Beer and twisted the cap off. I filled it to the top after the fizz disappeared and twisted the cap back on before sticking it back in the fridge. I grabbed a bag of Hot Cheetos off the counter and put them under my arm, grabbed his soda with one hand and the pizza rolls with the other and made my way into the living room, plopping down on the couch next to him.

"You're the best," he said, putting the plate on his lap and taking a drink of his soda. "Ah. Delicious." I smirked and curled up on the couch before pausing and looking down at my clothes.

"I'm gonna go change," I announced, jumping up and flitting to my room. I pushed the door to and kicked off my shoes into the closet before going over to my drawers. I grabbed a pair of multi-colored polka dot PJ cut-offs and peeled off my jeans quickly before sliding them over my hips. I unbuttoned my shirt and shrugged it off, opting to leave on my wife beater for bed, unhooked my bra and pulled it out from under my shirt then draped the articles of clothing over my computer chair before making my way back into the living room and sitting down next to Jake on the couch. I looked down at his plate and raised my eyebrows. He'd emptied over half of the plate in those few minutes.

"So what are the good stations down here?" he asked, popping a few chips into his mouth.

"The Japanese soap station!" I exclaimed.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, dude. They're super intense," I insisted. "But we can save that for another day. Um...I don't know. I don't really watch much TV."

"Nerd," he teased with a wink. He popped a few more pizza rolls into his mouth before groaning and patting his stomach.

"Full?"

"Mhm. Thanks, doll," he grinned, leaning over to kiss my temple. He grabbed the chips and closed up the bag, stood up and took them, his plate and his cup into the kitchen. I heard the sink turn on and smiled. He may have been of the male species, but he was thoughtful and most definitely _not_ a slob. He walked back into the living room and yawned, scratching his stomach.

"Mind if we called it a night?" he asked, leaning against the back of the couch.

"Nope. I'm pretty tired, too," I said, turning off the TV. "I'm just gonna close up in here. You go on." He nodded and made his way to the room as I walked around, checking the windows to make sure they were locked. I went over to the door and locked both locks, flipping the latch over since I knew Angela wouldn't be coming home, then leaned into the kitchen and flipped the light switch off. I rounded the corner and turned off the lamp before following the dim light coming from my room. I walked in on Jake, now in green and blue PJ bottoms, pulling his shirt over his head and faltered in my steps at the sight.

"Holyshit," I breathed out. He looked up quickly with raised eyebrows, followed my gaze down to his _extremely _toned midsection—god, had he _always_ looked so amazing?—then looked back up at me with a smirk.

"Are you getting aroused?"

"Who even says _aroused_?" I said, regaining my composure and walking further into my room.

"Me when I'm exhausted, apparently."

I laughed and climbed in the bed on the side closest to the wall, pushing down the covers as I reached the top.

"Is my being half-naked going to bother you?" he smirked. "'Cos I sleep without a shirt, now."

"As long as you don't steal my covers, I don't care what you wear." He climbed into bed and I told him to turn the lamp off before he settled in. We laid in silence for a few minutes as we moved around, trying to get comfortable.

"So...I can wear _nothing _and that'd be okay, as long as I don't steal your covers?"

"Just don't poke me in the back with your morning wood like an amateur," I chuckled, snuggling into my pillow as I laid on my stomach.

"Deal," he said, laying on his stomach as well. "G'night, Bells."

"Night, Jake. Love you."

"Love you, too." He turned his head away from me and silence enveloped the room. I closed my eyes and reveled in the heat his skin radiated. At this rate I'd be _giving _him my covers during the night. I sighed heavily and smiled. It was so good to have him next to me. It felt like home.

"Bella?" he mumbled. I opened my eyes as he turned his face to me again.

"What?"

"Masturbating?"

I laughed loudly and decided to humor him.

"Sure, Jake. Sure."

"Yessss," he hissed through a yawn. "I really will catch you one of these days, though."

I smiled and scratched his scalp gently before cupping his cheek and brushing my thumb across it, and I thought, _I love you, you fool._

_

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_**End Notes:** Review, head over to the forum on Twilighted to discuss and mingle, and I'll be posting another little something on Sunday. :)


	14. Chapter 13: Fairy dust & Bubble butts

**Chapter Notes**: So, wouldn't you know that the minute the pressure was off to pound out the chapter, the pages started flowing. This chapter is 27 pages long, and I think it's pretty friggin' funny, so I hope you do too. Just to remind you all, there won't be a post next week since I'm currently out of state (Hannah is being an amazing lovah, as usual, and posting this for you all, so you owe her HUGE thanks!) and won't get a chance to even start writing chapter 14 until at least June 7th--pretty much the whole reason this chapter is so long.

Thanks to everybody who sent me messages and reviews with such understanding, and a HUGE shout-out to cretin, who wrote/suggested the part about Bella's "viable options" towards the end of the chapter. :)

Oh, and by the way, I can't even REMEMBER the last time I went to the aquarium in SF, if ever, so the description is probably extremely inaccurate. Don't shoot me! Also, all you new readers: don't forget to go to the OT & OS page and get inside the brains of the two scheming females in the story. :)

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **What I own: Too many songs for my iPod. booo  
What I don't own: A Vespa, though my aunt apparently thinks I should invest in one, or Twilight.

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Chapter Song: No You Girls – Franz Ferdinand

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_-E-_

My eyes flew open in alarm as I heard loud banging accompanied with equally as loud yelling. My first thought was, 'What the fuck did Emmett do?' and the next, 'How am I supposed to hide his huge ass from the cops?' The knocking and yelling persisted, however, and I stumbled out of bed, still half-asleep and completely unaware of my surroundings.

One minute I was walking towards the bedroom door, and the next, I was face-down on the carpet. I pushed myself up, slightly disoriented, and looked around the room. I shot Emmett's sleeping form a death glare before standing up completely and kicking the offending object that caused me to fall towards his bed.

"Dumb shit, leaving your fat ass fucking shoes in the middle of the room," I grumbled, throwing open the bedroom door before running to the front door, much more alert and most _definitely_ wide awake. I reached for the handle and frantically unlocked the deadbolt before pulling the door open, wide-eyed. When I realized who was at the front door, I nearly lost my shit. It was Saturday, and there was no viable excuse this perky little midget could have given me for disturbing my fucking sleep.

"Alice?" I started, trying desperately not to scream at her smiling face. "What. The. _Fuck_?"

"Hi!" she waved, grinning even more, if that was possible.

"Why are you pounding on my door at..." I trailed off, trying to remember if I'd checked the alarm clock before doing a face-plant on my bedroom floor, "too early in the morning, I don't know what time it is."

"I have a surprise for you," she said, her eyes gleaming in excitement. It was hard to stay mad at that face, but God help me, I was still annoyed.

"And it couldn't have waited until a more decent hour?" I grumbled, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

"I don't much like waiting," a voice that I didn't recognize stated. I saw movement out of my peripherals and looked up, my eyes widening as the familiar face and sweet scent of perfume invaded my senses and stopped in front of me. I looked back and forth between her and Alice in confusion, wondering what the fuck I ate or drank before I went to bed last night to have this wild of a dream, because it _had _to be a dream.

"Wha—_Tanya_? Is that..." I lowered my gaze to her exposed left collar bone, where I knew her slightly-off-colored birthmark resided. Yup, there it was, but that didn't prove she was _really_ there. I narrowed my eyes in concentration and bit the inside of my lip, flinching a bit at the sting I felt.

But if I felt pain, then this _had _to be...

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?!" I didn't even give her a chance to explain before I wrapped my arms tightly around her and brought her flush against my chest, muttering against her hair in bewilderment. She chuckled and snaked her arms around my neck, and I vaguely registered that Alice was still talking.

"...remember what I said, Tanya." I looked over as Tanya turned her head and saw Alice giving her a pointed look before waving and turning to walk down the hall.

"What'd she tell you?" I asked, pulling away and looking down at her in curiosity.

"None of your business!" Alice shouted. I turned my head and scowled at her back as she rounded the corner to the elevators, eliciting a giggle from Tanya. With a grin, I pulled her inside, letting the door slam shut.

"I can't believe you're here," I said in amazement, looking her up and down. "You look great."

"Hmm, you always did look your best right after waking up," she smirked, scanning the length of my body. "Of course, your hair _was_ always a bit messier when you woke up with _me_." My eyes widened and one of my hands went instinctively to my hair, running it back and forth a few times as I laughed nervously.

"Yeah..." I trailed off lamely. She laughed and poked me in the chest gently with her index finger.

"You still act like that shy, fourteen-year-old boy around me, sometimes," she mused.

"Well that's crap," I stated, furrowing my eyebrows. "I don't act like that any other time."

"Nice to know I still have that effect on you, then," she winked. "Show me around!"

"This is pretty much it," I chuckled, looking left to right and holding my arms out to my sides before slapping them against my thighs. "It's not a huge place."

"Where's your room?" she asked, leaning to the left to look down the hall.

"Uh, the door on the right, but Emmett—"

I heard a door slam into a wall and flinched, looking to the front door then down the hall since everybody who held a key to the place was already here.

"_Edward_," Emmett boomed, his frame coming into view. "If you don't shut the _hell_ up, I'm going to—" His steps faltered and his angry expression melted into one of confusion as he stared at Tanya. Tilting his head to the side, his gaze flitted back and forth between my face and Tanya's as his eyebrows furrowed, much like I had done when I'd first seen her. Suddenly, he broke out into a toothy grin and bounded towards her, scooping her into his arms and lifting her off the ground effortlessly.

"Pumpkin tits!" he exclaimed happily, eliciting a sigh and a roll of the eyes from me. Such a charmer, he was.

"Hey, Emmett," she laughed, dropping her purse to the ground and rubbing her palm over his freshly-buzzed scalp roughly. "Happy to see me?"

"Psh, not at all," he grinned, setting her on the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood..." she teased with a smirk. "Actually, Alice called me a few months ago and asked me to come as a surprise for you fools, so I said, 'why the hell not?' I missed my boys."

"Did she pay for the ticket?" he asked, motioning for her to follow him as he walked to the kitchen.

"Nope," she replied, grabbing her purse off the ground and walking to the table, setting it down and leaning against one of the chairs.

"What a rip-off," he scoffed, opening the fridge and peering in. I snorted as she argued with his statement and walked over to the couch, plopping down and lifting my feet onto the coffee table, crossing them at the ankles. Leaning my head back on the cushion, I closed my eyes and sighed softly. I still had no idea what time it was, therefore no clue as to how much sleep I'd gotten before being unceremoniously woken up. All I knew was that, despite the excitement, I was tired as fuck.

"Wake up." I felt two warm hands on either side of my face and opened my eyes, immediately being met with a smiling, hazel pair extremely close to my face. I grinned lazily and shook my head, closing my eyes again.

"Don't wanna."

"Too bad," she replied, squishing my cheeks as she shook my head side to side before patting them roughly and taking her hands away. "You need to shave."

"Nah," I said through a yawn as I stretched, blinking rapidly. I lowered my hands and ran one across my cheeks and chin, feeling the stubble. "It adds to the appeal," I grinned as she sat down next to me, crossing her legs.

"Uh huh."

"Please, I'm a sexy bitch," I joked, resting my arm along the back of the couch, behind her head.

"You'll never hear me argue that," she shrugged, glancing at me coyly. I smirked and winked at her, earning a laugh and a smack to my thigh before her hand stilled there. I looked down at it then back up at her with a raised eyebrow, still smirking. She raised both of her eyebrows and smirked slightly before squeezing it gently. Chuckling softly, I shook my head and sighed before laying it back against the cushion again, staring at the ceiling.

This was definitely unchartered territory. Well, not _completely_, but it had been since we'd broken up. Those few moments had stirred up repressed memories of when we'd been together; her way of telling me that she wanted me. I wasn't sure whether I should be turned on, or feel extremely awkward, but given what I was wearing, I figured it wasn't such a good idea to get a boner with her hand so close to my—ah, _fuck_.

_Think of something unappealing...uh...hairy moles...liver spots...saggy, 80 year old tits...that stupid boy band with the bullet proof vests; 93 degrees or whatever._

I sighed heavily—that did the trick.

"Get a _room_," Emmett half-yelled, throwing one of the dish towels at my face.

"Fuck off, asshole," I huffed, throwing it back at him with all the force I could muster. He caught it and laughed, wadding it up and throwing it on the island. "I forgot you were even in here, though how I could _ever_ do that, I don't know."

"Which is exactly why I made it known. I don't need to see that shit," he cringed, shaking his head.

"Alright, boys, calm down," Tanya teased, looking between us with a grin. "There will be no need for a room, Emmett. I've been given strict guidelines, which includes no touching any of the men that reside here."

"What?" I asked in confusion as Emmett chortled. "Who—Alice? Did Alice tell you that?" I demanded. Smiling, she shrugged and pursed her lips, lifting her hand to her mouth and making a gesture that her lips were sealed before tossing the non-existent key over her shoulder.

"You got cock-blocked!" Emmett spat out through his chuckles, shaking his head.

"Shut your mouth, baboon," I snapped, glaring at him. "Why would she tell you that?" I muttered, mostly to myself. It wasn't necessarily that I had any intention of gettin' it on with Tanya, but it perturbed me to no end that my _option_ was being taken away from me without my knowledge or consent. Crazy, scheming—and she was _definitely_ scheming—little pixie. I'd figure out what she was up to.

A phone went off, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I looked side to side.

"I think that's me," she said, standing up and walking over to the table to rummage through her purse. She stared intently at the screen before pressing buttons on the keypad quickly, then shoving her phone in her pocket. She walked back over to the couch, grabbing the TV remote off the table before resuming her previous position next to me. The blank screen buzzed to life as she pressed the power button, making a clicking noise before the sound flowed through the speakers and the picture cleared.

"The stations suck here," Emmett said, though it sounded muffled. I looked over at him in confusion, rolling my eyes once I saw his full mouth and a sandwich in his hand.

"Why the hell are you eating a sandwich this early, dumb shit?"

"Because I'm hungry, you wanker," he retorted.

"Dude, it's..." I still had no idea what time it was. I leaned over and reached into Tanya's pocket, staring straight at her startled face, inches from mine, with a crooked grin as she visibly stiffened. I pulled out her phone and looked down, pressing a button to light up the screen and displaying the time before pushing it back into her pocket and looking over at Emmett. "It's 10:15 in the morning," I stated, not missing the fact that I heard and felt Tanya exhale heavily against my ear.

"Your point?" he asked, swallowing the chewed up bits of sandwich in his mouth before taking another huge bite.

"You don't eat a sandwich in the morning, unless it's a breakfast sandwich from Denny's or something," I said, leaning back into my previous position and resting my arm along the back of the couch once again.

"Au contraire, my friend. It's never too early for a sandwich of any kind." He walked into the living room and went to the armchair, shoving the last bit of his sandwich in his mouth before turning to sit. Halfway down, he paused and looked over at Tanya. "Oh, did you want anything to drink, or eat, or something?"

"That's real nice, asshole," I scoffed, shaking my head and running a hand down my face.

"I didn't hear you offer!" he argued, standing back up with furrowed eyebrows. "You're being a real pain in the nuts today, what's your deal?"

"I'm cranky," I grunted with a frown.

"Apparently," he scoffed.

"You two are acting like women," Tanya said in amusement, reaching up to pat my cheek. "It's okay, Edward. Calm down."

"I am calm," I muttered.

"Emmett, thank you for the offer, but I'm perfectly fine," she said, lowering her hand back down to my thigh.

"You're _welcome_. I just thought I'd be a _gentleman _and offer before sitting down," he stressed, the springs in the armchair squeaking as he sat on the cushion.

"Suck it."

"Nah, that's Jasper's jo—"

He didn't get a chance to finish before I leapt out of my seat and lunged at him, pulling him out of his chair in a headlock. His arms were flailing at his sides as he desperately tried to pull himself out it, to no avail.

"Say it again, fucker," I growled, tightening my grip around his neck.

"Okay, okay!" he gurgled, smacking my leg.

"Come on, big guy. You're so damn strong, get yourself out. Come on," I half-yelled, out of breath. Suddenly, I felt fingers on my bare sides and yelped, jumping away immediately. Emmett cheered and raised his fists in the air with a triumphant grin. "Dude, seriously...did you just fucking _tickle _me?" I asked incredulously.

"I won!" he shouted, pumping his fists again before lowering them to his sides.

"You _violated _me!"

"Yes, but _you_ tried to kill me," he reasoned, shaking a finger at me. "That just can't happen. The world would be in mourning if Emmett did not exist."

"That's just...that's super gay." I backed away slowly, shaking my head with a blank look on my face. "_Super_ gay."

"You guys haven't changed a bit," Tanya said. I looked back over at her and sighed, taking the long way back around to sit on the couch so that I wouldn't have to pass Emmett.

"Yes huh," Emmett argued. "We're _men_ now." He flexed for emphasis and I had to laugh at how fucking ridiculous this morning had already been. That reminded me...

"Emmett, I swear to God, if you leave another one of your _fucking_ shoes in the middle of the floor for me to trip over, it will be up your asshole, stretching it to a point of no return by the time you wake up."

*

"So, Tanya," Rosalie started, taking a sip of her coffee. Alice had just disappeared into Jasper's bedroom after distributing our coffees, and I really had no desire to know _why_ she'd gone in there, or what she was doing. "Where do you go to school, again?"

"UNLV," she replied. I lifted my cup to my lips and took a sip, licking my lips as I swallowed.

"Why did you decide to go there, instead of following the apparent trend in Forks and coming here?"

"I wanted change. San Francisco seemed a lot like Seattle, whereas Las Vegas is _nothing_ like what I'd been used to."

I nodded, taking another drink of coffee. I had wanted change, too, but I'd also wanted some sort of familiarity. That was definitely one of the top reasons I'd come to San Francisco State; the city _was _a lot like Seattle, at least to the eye. The atmosphere was completely different here, though, which I absolutely loved. Plus, it was far, far away from all the idiots we'd gone to school with.

"How's that working out for you?" Rose asked.

"It's not so bad. I miss home sometimes, and I definitely miss these guys," she said, turning to look at me with a small smile that I returned, "but overall, I like it."

Rosalie hummed her acknowledgement as she put her cup to her lips, tilting it all the way back and finishing off her coffee. Our heads snapped towards the hallway as we heard footsteps, and a bright-eyed Alice emerged seconds later.

"Lets go to breakfast!" she grinned, clapping her hands together.

"Where's Jasper?" I asked, finishing off my coffee and leaning forward to set the cup on the table.

"You _would_ be the one to ask that," Emmett muttered, bringing his cup to his mouth.

"Do you really want to go there again?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him in a challenge. He chuckled and shook his head, tightening his grip around Rosalie's waist. I rolled my eyes and turned my gaze back to Alice.

"He's getting dressed, as you two need to be doing as well. Go," she shooed, waving us off to our room. We groaned and I stood up, trudging to my room and hearing Emmett thumping behind me. I walked over to my bed and crouched down, pulling open the top left drawer and grabbing a pair of boxers and socks before pushing it shut again. I walked over to the armoire and opened the doors, grabbing a pair of black Dickies shorts, a white t-shirt—I didn't even bother to look at what was on it, if anything—and a black-and-white-checkered belt before silently walking out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me so that Emmett could get dressed. I walked into the bathroom and closed the door and pushed in the lock, immediately stripping down and pulling my new boxers on. I debated shaving for a moment before dismissing the idea, grabbing my face wash from inside the mirror then turning on the sink.

After thoroughly washing and drying my face, I brushed my teeth, wiping my mouth off before pulling on my clothes. I looked in the mirror and cracked up; 'I Got The Magic Stick' was printed in black with a picture of a magician's wand underneath.

My sense of humor was amazing.

As usual, I didn't bother with my hair before walking out of the bathroom. The bedroom door was open, so I walked in and headed back to my still-open armoire, grabbing a pair of my black, suede Vans before closing the doors and sitting in my computer chair to put them on.

"Nice shirt," Emmett laughed, standing up as he finished tying his shoes. I grinned and nodded in agreement, brushing my hands over my thighs as I stood up with a sigh.

"Ready?" I asked, looking towards the door. The bathroom door was closed, and since I could hear the girls in the living room through the wall, I figured Jasper was probably in there.

"I'm always ready for food," he replied, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "I wonder where we're going."

"I don't even care," I said, grabbing my phone and wallet and shoving them in my back pockets before walking out and into the hall. "Either way, our money is getting spent."

As I suspected, Jasper emerged from the bathroom, wide awake and ready to go. Emmett greeted him as he slid past into the bathroom, then closed the door.

"I don't know how the hell you slept through all of the commotion this morning," I laughed, shaking my head.

"I don't either, if Emmett woke up," he grinned. "What's the deal, anyway?"

"The midget is scheming, and I have no idea what she's up to, but I'll figure it out eventually."

"I have no idea what's going on," he said, putting his hands up to emphasize his innocence. "I have a strict 'don't ask, don't tell' policy when it comes to Alice."

"That's the best way to go, my friend," I nodded seriously, slapping him on the back a few times.

"Maybe she's trying to get you guys back together?" he suggested in a hushed voice with a shrug. "It makes sense if she brought your _ex _out here as a surprise."

"Nah," I replied just as quietly, shaking my head slightly. "Knowing Alice, she did it for the exact _opposite _reason. What that could even _be_ is the real question. Besides, Tanya and I are still friends. We've been over for a year and a half, now. There's nothing there in that way, anymore."

"Well, good luck," he chuckled. Emmett emerged from the bathroom and paused when he saw us, still in the hall.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked, eying us skeptically.

"Waiting for you, baby," I joked, winking at him for show.

"We really _are_ the gayest roommates ever," Jasper mused. We walked down the hallway and into the living room, still chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Alice asked, standing up and flitting to Jasper's side immediately.

"Nothin'," Emmett and I said simultaneously, grinning.

Alice introduced Jasper to Tanya, and he politely shook her hand before going over to Rosalie and greeting her with a quick, sideways hug.

Rose stared at my shirt for a few seconds before a smirk appeared on her face. "Bella will love that," she said, shaking her head slightly. "She's always so amused with your shirts."

"That's because she has a sense of humor, unlike all of you," I joked, scratching my cheek. "Wait, what does Bella's love for my shirts have to do with anything?"

"She and the dog will be joining us for breakfast, of course. We're meeting them at the bus stop in front of her apartment in about fifteen minutes."

"The dog?" I asked in confusion. "She doesn't have a dog here."

"You know, that Quail guy, or whatever," she muttered, flippantly. Upon my even _more_ confused face, she huffed and rolled her eyes. "Jacob! I just call him the dog because of his heritage."

"He's part...Quail?" I asked in amusement.

"Quileute," Alice corrected with a roll of her eyes.

"What_ever_," Rosalie drawled on, waving her hand in the air dismissively.

"Okay, we need to go!" Alice said excitedly, grabbing her purse off of the table. Rosalie and Tanya grabbed theirs, and we filed towards and out of the door, Jasper stating that he had the keys before we started down the hall to the elevator. We walked into the first one that opened and pressed the button to the lobby, riding down in near silence and filing out in the same style once the doors slid open. Once we'd walked through the automatic doors and outside, Alice and Rosalie linked arms and leaned into each other, talking quietly amongst themselves. Jasper and I stood next to Emmett, who threw his arm around Tanya's shoulders and started conversation as I stared in confusion at the two women in front of us.

"Dude," I started, leaning into Jasper, "what, are they _friends_ now? When did this—where the _hell_ have I been?" I stuttered, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"I don't get it any more than you do," he shrugged. "I'm happy about it, though."

"Well, yeah, but still...I wasn't aware of this apparent camaraderie."

We talked and joked aimlessly as we walked to the bus stop in front of Bella's apartment complex. Emmett and Tanya joined in our conversation as we approached the waiting area and stopped near the bench, facing each other in a small circle.

Alice squealed moments later, effectively cutting off our conversation as we glanced at her, fidgeting in place. She was obviously excited about something, but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. It's not like she was ever ecstatic about _eating_.

"Hey, bitch!" Rosalie shouted. I looked towards the direction she was facing and spotted Bella at the end of the stairs that lead to the door of the complex, hand-in-hand with one of the tallest motherfuckers I'd ever seen.

"God_damn_," I muttered, staring at them as they walked down the sidewalk, both of them smiling widely.

"Hey," Bella grinned as she approached us, scanning each of our faces. "This is Jake," she said, looking up at him. "Jake, this is Rosalie," she started, pointing at Rose, "Emmett, Jasper, Edward—" She paused when she reached Tanya, looking at her quizzically. "I haven't met you before," she observed with a smile, "so I can't introduce you properly, but from what I've heard," she went on, turning back towards Rosalie who was still linking arms with my best friend, "_you_ must be Alice."

Alice squealed again and lunged forward, throwing her little arms around Bella's neck. Startled, Bella looked at Rosalie as she stood stiffly, patting Alice awkwardly on the back.

"Sorry, sorry," Alice apologized, backing away. "I'm just so excited to meet you, you have no idea!" I stared at Alice, completely flabbergasted. Since _when_ was she excited to meet Bella? How the hell had she even _known_ about Bella? I almost asked aloud before Alice continued her gushing. "I've just heard so much about you, what with dating Jasper and Rosalie being a good friend of yours." Ah, yes. That made sense, although I couldn't quite place why she had been so damn enthusiastic about it.

I shook my head and closed my eyes briefly. _I'm not even going to worry about it._

"I'm Tanya," I heard from beside me, and I opened my eyes to see her shaking hands with Bella and Jake.

"Nice to meet you all," he said, nodding at each of us with a small smile.

"So, I just realized on the walk over here that by the time we actually _get_ somewhere, much less sit down, it'll be lunch time," Jasper stated.

"Let's go to Bubba Gumps!" Emmett exclaimed, grinning like the fool that he was. That restaurant was his absolute favorite, and he tried to get somebody to go with him _all the time_. His timing was perfect, for once, considering we had two visitors who had more than likely never been there, and as his grin turned smug I knew that was exactly what he was betting on.

The bus pulled up and we climbed on, paying for our bus fares. I paid for Tanya's, since I was fairly certain she didn't have any change on her just yet, and handed her the transfer slip as we all situated ourselves in seats. I rested my arm along the back of Tanya's seat and stared out the window.

"You okay?" she asked, nudging my leg with hers. I looked over at her and smiled with a nod.

"Yup, why?"

"Just making sure," she replied, shaking her head. I slid my arm down so that it was around her shoulders and pulled her to me, kissing her temple quickly.

"I'm glad you're here," I said.

"Me too," she sighed, squeezing my knee. I leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes as the bus drove through the neighborhoods, rocking us side to side. We stopped briefly a few times before I opened my eyes upon hearing the bustle of pedestrians and traffic outside the doors. I stood up, waiting for Tanya to slide out of her seat with my hand on the small of her back, then followed our crowd out of the bus and towards the crosswalk. We walked across to the MUNI station hurriedly, seeing it stilled at it's light before the stop as we practically ran up the ramp to the platform, joining the scattered crowd already there. When it pulled up, we all filed in together, walking further down the car to locate more empty seats. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett sat along one side, and Bella and Jacob sat opposite of them, leaving two open seats in the row. I took the seat next to Bella, Tanya situating herself on my left, and stretched with a yawn. I looked over at Bella and smirked before reaching over and tugging at the ends of her hair.

"Yes?" she asked, pursing her lips to fight off the smile forming on her lips.

"You should wear your hair down more often," I said with a smile.

"Why? It's a pain in the ass to do."

"I don't know," I shrugged. "It's just different."

"Thanks," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"No, it's a good different. I like it. You have pretty hair."

"Thanks," she repeated, this time with a laugh. "Ooh, you have something on your shirt! I love your shirts."

"So I've been told," I chuckled.

"What does it say? Turn towards me, I want to see," she grinned, motioning for me to rotate in my seat. I rolled my eyes playfully but complied, turning to my right and straightening my shirt out so she could see it better. I saw a flash of red on her shirt and scanned what she was wearing as she read mine. She had on a fitted, white Taking Back Sunday t-shirt with a black spiderweb across the front and the band name in red, and was wearing tight, black pants and black Converse.

How ironic; we matched.

She laughed heartily after she'd finished reading the print on my shirt and stared at me in amusement. "You got the magic stick? Is that so?"

"Oh yeah, he _definitely _does," Tanya said seductively, squeezing my forearm. Bella's gaze went to her face, then down to her hand before coming back up to meet my eyes. I turned slowly towards Tanya and raised my eyebrows, silently asking her what the _hell_ that was about. "What? I'm just speaking the truth," she shrugged. I continued staring at her before leaning back in my seat, scratching my head with a sigh.

These women were going to be the death of me.

~º~º~

I was wedged between Tanya and Alice, and directly across from Bella in a booth overlooking the ocean at the restaurant, and all I could do was glare at Emmett. I was extremely thirsty, and nobody had come to take our drink orders.

"I need a drink," Tanya muttered, flipping her hair over her shoulder..

"We all do," I agreed, leaning back in my seat.

We'd had to wait over an hour for a table, just to be brought back here to wait for somebody to take our drink order, which we'd inevitably have to wait another God only knew how much longer to actually _get_. I returned to glaring at Emmett, because essentially it was all his fault for suggesting this place, knowing how fucking long it took to get everything.

"Stop giving me bedroom eyes, Edward," he shouted, throwing a wadded up napkin at me.

"Says the guy who MOLESTED be this morning!" I shouted equally as loud back at him. I was sure we'd earned odd stares from the surrounding people, but it was hardly important to me. What was important was that I was _dying_ of dehydration.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Emmett?" Rosalie asked with a smirk.

"Yes," I replied immediately. "He wants my body."

"Is your name Emmett?" he snapped, turning to glare at me.

"No, thank god," I muttered. He kicked me roughly in the shin and I jumped, glaring back at him and rubbing my knee. "What the fuck is up with you McCarty's?"

"It's reflex," Alice answered with a shrug, not looking up from her menu. "What are you ordering?"

"I don't know," I replied, looking down at my menu. "Not that it really matters, since it'll probably be another hour before we even _get_ to order." She hummed in agreement and continued scanning the specialty dishes. I sighed and decided on fried shrimp before closing my menu and setting it down on the table. I looked up and saw Bella and Jacob having a hushed conversation, her hand resting on his arm as she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder with a big smile on her face. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Hey there, my name is Lacey and I'll be your server this afternoon. Sorry about the wait, it's pretty crowded in here," she smiled, looking around the table briefly before pulling out her order pad. "What can I get you all to drink?" She went around the table, taking the orders, and when she came to me her eyes widened slightly before her entire facial expression changed as her shoulders dropped down infinitesimally and back, slightly pushing her chest out. I almost burst out laughing—so not subtle. "And what can I get you, handsome?"

"I'll have a water for now, Lacey. Thanks," I replied, licking my lips and winking at her as I grinned. I heard a snort from somewhere at the table, which caused me to grin even more. She took Alice and Jasper's drink orders before letting us know she'd be _right_ back—she stressed this point—and sauntering off, swaying her hips slightly as she walked away.

"Could she _be_ any more obvious?" Alice chuckled, shaking her head. "You...I don't know, you need to do something with your face. Make yourself less attractive."

"Well, now, that's just unreasonable. I'd never get anywhere in life," I joked, nudging her with my elbow. "Hey, you all should be _thanking_ me. I'm obviously the reason you won't be dying of thirst anymore," I said, cheekily, interlacing my fingers and cracking my knuckles with a smirk.

"Is it always like that?" Tanya asked, leaning forward to look at Alice.

"Everywhere we go," Alice replied, closing her menu and setting it down. "It's ridiculous."

"Not _everywhere_," I corrected.

"Yes, _everywhere_. He even has a friend at work who's a lesbian, and she has said on numerous occasions that she'd go straight for a day just to sleep with him."

"Alice," I groaned, sinking down in my seat, somewhat embarrassed as everybody at the table made teasing remarks.

"Yes, Edward's quite the ladies man," Bella piped in with a mischievous grin. "He's having to guise himself as a homosexual to get away from his fan club."

I groaned even louder as everybody's teasing turned into raucous laughter , throwing my head back against the seat and covering my hands with my face. "Thanks, Bella," I mumbled.

"You're welcome," she replied cheerily.

I straightened up when—just as she'd promised—Lacey returned with all of our drinks. She winked at me when she leaned over to set mine down, but I was still too embarrassed to do anything but smile at her. She asked us if we were all ready to order and we agreed, spouting off what we wanted one at a time. Bella and Jacob had resumed whatever they were doing in their personal little bubble, and I observed them carefully, trying to figure out what the hell was with them.

"So, have you two screwed yet, or what?" Rosalie asked bluntly, turning to look at them. That snapped them out of whatever they were involved in as shock was etched on their faces.

"Rose!" Bella screeched, immediately turning red in the face as Jacob howled in laughter.

"Bells, your friends are _amazing_," he chortled. "Sadly, no. She won't admit to wanting me, even though I _know_ she does," he grinned, looking down at her.

"You're so full of shit!" she exclaimed.

"No. Y_ou_, my dear, are the one who is full of shit, _and _in serious denial. I heard you moaning my name in your sleep last night. 'Oh, _Jake_, just like that'," he mocked, laughing as she elbowed him roughly in the side.

"I did _not_!" she argued, feebly.

"Oh, you most certainly did," he smirked, winking at her before draping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into him. He whispered something in her ear and she rolled her eyes, smacking his chest playfully before sitting back up.

I looked between the two of them, once again trying to figure out what they were. She'd said they were best friends, and I supposed there were best friends who were really affectionate like that, even though I was sure they were a rarity. To an outsider, though, they _definitely _looked like something was going on between them. I didn't really know why I cared so much, I was just really curious. I felt like Bella and I were pretty much friends, but I didn't know much about her personal life, and I wanted to.

I nudged her foot under the table to get her attention. She looked over at me curiously, and I averted my gaze to Jacob, motioning my head subtly towards him then back at her, silently questioning what their deal was with my eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, mouthing 'what?' before I repeated the action with a little more emphasis. She still didn't get it, however, and I sighed heavily before pulling my phone out of my back pocket and opening a new text.

_**What's the deal with you two?**_

I scrolled through my contacts and selected Bella's name before hitting send and looking back up nonchalantly. She was still staring at me with furrowed eyebrows before twitching slightly and reaching into her pocket. Her expression smoothed as she looked down at her lap for a few moments, then looked back up with the same nonchalance as I had previously. My phone buzzed in my hand and I looked down, opening the text.

_**There is no deal. I told you, he's my best friend. What about you?**_

I smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow, hitting the reply button.

_**It seems like there's a little more to you two than you're letting on. And what about me?**_

I hit send and looked up at her, still smirking as I met her gaze before she looked down at the text message I'd just sent. She shook her head slightly and kept her gaze down, undoubtedly replying. I was trying to telepathically send her vibes to hurry the hell up, even though I was pretty sure I had no idea how to do that shit, when my phone finally buzzed.

_**Nothing romantic between us at all. We're just really affectionate. Always have been. And I mean, what about you and Tanya?**_

I furrowed my eyebrows at her text. What the hell would make her think something was going on between us? It's not like we'd been holding hands or anything like her and Jake had been doing. I started texting out my reply.

_**She's my ex. We broke up over a year ago, but we've been friends since we were kids and still are. That's all it is now. Why? Jealous? :P**_

I watched her closely after I sent it, waiting to see what her reaction would be to the end of my text. She broke out into a huge grin, causing me to grin as well as she looked up at me and rolled her eyes before reverting her gaze back down to her lap. My phone buzzed in my hand, though I could tell she was still replying to my previous message. I looked down at the screen and opened the text message.

_**Wow.**_

I frowned; wow? What the hell? I looked down to the sender and saw that it was Tanya. Turning my head towards her, I stared at her in confusion, shaking my head and shrugging slightly to let her know I had no idea what the hell that was supposed to mean. She sighed heavily and started pressing the buttons on her keypad furiously. My phone buzzed again and I hit the button to read the new text, smirking before I even saw what Bella had written.

_**Oh yes, baby. I've wanted you from the moment you threatened to shove your dick in my mouth to shut me up.**_

I laughed loudly before covering my mouth with my hand and looking up at her. She was still grinning, but her gaze was on her lap. I got another text message and opened it—from Tanya, this time.

_**Could it **_**be**_** any more obvious that you're flirting with Bella?**_

I immediately hit reply and rolled my eyes.

_**We're not even talking, so how do you figure?**_

Another text message came through as I was replying to Tanya, so I ignored it until I finished my text and sent it, opening it up afterward.

_**I saw the pictures of you two on your myspace, and she kind of acts like she's your girlfriend. I don't know.**_

I furrowed my eyebrows. I didn't think it seemed like that. We were just friends, though there was bound to be some sort of affection since we'd dated for so long. I hit reply and typed out my response on the key pad.

_**I don't either. Don't worry, she's not competition. ;)**_

I chuckled as I sent the reply, shaking my head at my antics. I looked at her as she read it and saw her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. I grinned and licked my lips, extremely curious as to what her reply would be when I noticed Jacob was staring at me from the corner of my eye. My eyes flitted over to his face briefly, and my eyebrows raised as I saw that he was practically glaring at me. My phone buzzed and I looked down at my lap, thankful for the distraction as I opened the text.

_**We're not blind here, Edward. We can all tell you guys are texting each other.**_

I didn't even bother to reply. It shouldn't have even mattered who the hell I was and wasn't texting. Why did she care, anyway? It wasn't like we were dating anymore. Bella's observation that Tanya still acted like she was my girlfriend came to mind. I didn't know why that was, all of a sudden. It'd never been like that when we'd hung out before. I cleared the screen and waited for Bella's response to my text. Lacey came over and set some condiments on the table, letting us know our food would be finished shortly before flitting to another table.

I hit the button to read the new text before my phone had even finished buzzing, and pursed my lips to keep my forming smile at bay as my eyes began to scan her reply.

_**Who said I'm worried? lol, nah, you're too much of a ladies man for me, Cullen. I don't think I could deal with your flirtatious ways. :P**_

I looked up at her with a smirk and closed my eyes tightly, dramatically making a stabbing gesture at my chest, right over my heart then clutching at it before opening my eyes and grinning. She smirked and rolled her eyes before casting a glance to the side. Her face reddened and she ducked her head slightly, and I looked around the table to see that everybody was staring between the two of us intently.

"What?" I mumbled, slouching slightly.

"Did we miss something?" Emmett asked in amusement.

"Nothing that was any of your business," I retorted. "Your buffet is on it's way."

He whirled around and looked towards the kitchen, grinning widely as he saw our waitress less than twenty feet away with a large tray full of food, another waitress following closely behind with what I assumed was the rest of our orders. They set up stands next to each other and started distributing our meals, and Tanya asked for a drink named 'Big Easy'. She pulled out her ID and handed it over, and Lacey scanned it quickly before handing it back and promising to be out with it soon.

"You're 21?" Bella asked.

"Obviously," Tanya muttered under her breath. I turned my head sharply and narrowed my eyes at her. What the fuck was her problem? She sighed and said, "Yeah, I'm the oldest of the bunch," louder and smiled at Bella before picking up her fork and cutting a piece of her Salmon.

"So how'd you manage to score an older chick, Edward?" Rosalie asked with a smirk as I reached to my left for the ketchup.

"Hello, have you _met_ me?" I joked, shaking the bottle before twisting the cap off and pouring some on my plate, next to my fries.

"Who could _ever _resist this face?" Tanya added as she playfully reached over and grabbed my chin, shaking my head slightly.

"Apparently, Bella," I laughed, looking across the table with a huge grin. She rolled her eyes and put a fry in her mouth, smirking as she chewed. "She says I'm too much of a ladies man for her."

"Doesn't look that way to me," Tanya scoffed. I opened my mouth to say something back to her but shut it quickly, flinching as I heard the loud clank of silverware hitting a plate next to me. I looked over to Alice and saw her staring at Tanya with narrowed eyes, her palms firmly on the table.

"Jasper, slide out for a second," she instructed, never turning her gaze away to look at him. "Tanya, can I talk to you for a second?"

I looked over at Tanya as she nodded reluctantly before feeling my right sleeve being tugged on roughly. I swatted Alice's hand away and grudgingly slid out of the booth, muttering about women and their incessant need to _talk_. Alice grabbed Tanya's forearm as soon as she was upright, and pulled her along side her as she walked quickly away from the table.

"That was..." I trailed off, shaking my head as I slid back into the booth.

"Weird," Jasper finished with a nod, sliding in next to me.

"Well I think it's hilarious," Emmett grinned, shoving a crab-stuffed shrimp in his mouth.

"I'm not kissing you until you've scrubbed your teeth for at least three hours," Rosalie stated, staring at him as he chewed happily.

"Yeah, you will," he said with a full mouth, winking at her. Lacey brought over Tanya's drink, but upon seeing her empty seat, she looked to me in confusion.

"They went...somewhere, I don't know," I explained. "She'll be back soon. You can just leave it."

"If I were her, I'd be a little worried about leaving you on your own," she winked, setting Tanya's drink down to my left.

"And why is that?" I asked, looking up at her with a small smirk.

"I'd just hate to have to deal with all the girls flocking to my boyfriend like I'm sure they do you," she replied, leaning onto the table slightly with her palms. I heard a snort from the other side of the booth and diverted my gaze, seeing Bella leaning into Jacob with her hand over her mouth.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm single, then," I replied, looking back to her and licking my lips. "Everybody's hassle-free."

"What a coincidence," she said, biting the corner of her bottom lip. "So am I."

"Wow, that's really interesting, Lassie" Rosalie interrupted, all but shouting. "Can I get some more Ranch dressing, please?"

"Lacey," she corrected, looking over to Rosalie.

"Uh huh. Can you get it, please? Like, _now_?"

Lacey set her jaw and walked towards the back, and I looked on at Rose in curious amusement.

"Jesus, do you have 'fuck me' written in fine print across your forehead?" she snarled, stabbing a piece of lettuce and shoving it into her mouth.

"No, but his shirts do," Emmett snickered. "Sorry, Eddie, but I just don't get the appeal." I rolled my eyes and shook my head as he continued. "I mean, first it's Tanya this morning, now the waitress?"

"_What_?" Rosalie asked lowly as she dropped her fork to her plate, much in the same fashion as Alice had, minutes before. "What do you mean, 'first it's Tanya this morning'?"

"She was rubbing on his leg and eying him like a piece of meat from the time I woke up."

"Emmett, let me out," she ordered, shoving on his arm. "Unbelievable."

"What do you care?" he asked skeptically. She gave him a meaningful look and his eyes widened slightly before he nodded. "Oh, right. Okay, yeah." He slid out of the booth and watched as she stood up and stalked towards the direction Alice and Tanya had gone in.

"Thank you for never acting like a crazy person, Bells," Jacob chuckled, putting a hand on top of her head and ruffling her hair slightly as she tried to smack it off.

"What the hell was that about?" I demanded, leaning towards the table and staring intently as Emmett slid back in and picked up another shrimp.

"She had to go to the bathroom," he shrugged. "Lady troubles."

"That's the worst, most overused excuse in the world," I snapped, "but whatever. I don't even think I want to know, so I'm not really sure why I asked."

I picked up a piece of my fried shrimp and dipped it in ketchup before stuffing it in my mouth, staring intently at the table. I felt something hit my forehead gently before I saw a wadded up napkin land on top of my fries, and felt my foot getting nudged under the table. I looked up and raised a questioning eyebrow at Bella.

_'What's going on?'_ she mouthed. I shrugged and shook my head with a sigh. As I'd said to Emmett, I doubted I even wanted to know.

"So, Jacob," I started. "I remember Bella saying you didn't go to school because you were already doing what you wanted to do. What is it that you do?"

"I work in an auto shop with a bunch of our friends," he said, squeezing Bella's shoulder. "One of them owns it. Taught us all everything we know."

"Nice, is it on the Rez?"

"Yup," he nodded, taking a drink from his glass.

"He lives in Forks," Bella explained.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at me and chuckling.

"Hey, La Push isn't any better," I pointed out with a grin.

"That's why you all come to our beach," he retorted.

"Do you guys even have a proper grocery store?"

"I hardly call the thrifty mart a 'proper' store," he scoffed, using air quotes.

"You all still shop there," I quipped.

"I hate to break it to you guys," Bella interrupted, "but they both suck, major, _major_ ass."

"Hey!" we exclaimed, and Emmett chimed in.

"I only speak the truth," she said, looking between the three of us. "Jazz, why are you so quiet?"

"I'm just eatin'," he said, looking up at her with a grin. "Besides, I have no idea what you guys are talking about."

"Story of his life," I joked, patting him on the back before picking up multiple fries and shoving them in my mouth. I felt movement on the seat and looked over, seeing Jasper slide out of the booth. I followed suit, assuming that the squawking hen's were probably approaching the table, and moved out of the way so that Tanya could slide in first. I moved back in and chuckled as Rosalie smacked the back of Emmett's head, snapping at him as he slid out of his seat for being too involved in his food to notice her arrival.

"Everything okay?" Jasper asked, sliding in next to Alice and looking between her and Rosalie.

"Yup, we just had some...things...we needed to sort out," she replied, smiling and kissing his cheek before picking up her fork and scooping up a bite of Jasmine Rice.

I looked over to Tanya, raising my eyebrows at her and silently asking if everything really _was _okay. She smiled and nodded before exclaiming that she'd completely forgotten about her drink, picking it up and sipping it down quickly.

"Drunky," Alice joked, taking a drink of her iced tea.

"Don't hate, teeny-tiny," Tanya retorted with a wink. Another full-table conversation ensued quickly, and I shook my head. How a trip to the bathroom could fix a problem, even if nobody else knew exactly _what_ the problem was, I'd never understand.

Women.

~º~º~

"I want to go to the fairy shop!" Alice exclaimed as we walked out of the restaurant.

"No," I groaned, closing my eyes and putting my head back. "I'm not doing it, Alice." I _hated_ that stupid fucking shop.

"Oh, don't be a baby," she snapped. "I never get to go in there because of you."

"What's the matter? You don't want to get purple fairy dust pressed onto your cheek in the shape of a star?" I opened my eyes and looked down, seeing Bella looking up at me, biting her bottom lip to hide her smile.

"As appealing as that may sound..." I trailed off before breaking out into a grin. "They ask me _every time_. It's a conspiracy, I tell you. I'll make a deal with you, Ali," I said, walking over to her and leaning down to her ear. "If you can assure me that Emmett will be offered, thus _forced_ to wear the fairy dust, I'll go in there, no complaints," I whispered before standing up and backing away slightly. She grinned and put a finger up, indicating that she needed a moment before her expression smoothed out, her eyes crossed slightly and glazed over.

"Is she okay?" Bella asked with a concerned look on her face.

"She's fine," I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Dammit!" Alice hissed a minute later, and I grinned triumphantly. "I hate you."

"No you don't."

"I wish I could, sometimes," she pouted, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I'll go with you, Alice," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. "My mom loves fairies. Maybe we can find her something for her birthday," she said, looking to Jasper. He nodded in agreement and grabbed Alice's hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. Sucker.

"I guess I have to go too, then," Emmett muttered, though he looked over at Rosalie hopefully. She killed any ounce of his hope, though, as she told him he most definitely had to go, and the four of them walked to the stairs, towards the shop residing in the middle of the pier, leaving Tanya, myself, Jacob and Bella staring after them in confusion.

"Well that was rude," Bella muttered.

"It's Rosalie," I countered, and she hummed in agreement. She'd know better than anybody. Well, besides Jasper. Sometimes I wondered—

"—how they came from the same genetic makeup," Bella said, finishing my train of thought out loud. I snorted and nodded in agreement, sighing.

"Well, now that we've officially been ditched, what should we do?"

"What about that aquarium?" Tanya asked.

"I have a feeling we'd get yelled at if we went without them," I said, running a hand through my hair and looking around. "What about the fleet boats?"

"Motion sickness," Tanya said, "no can do."  
"Shit, that's right," I sighed. Suddenly, she started giggling and smacked me in the stomach lightly with the back of her hand. "Remember the first time we went to Seattle together?"

"Oh, god," I groaned, rubbing my face as I laughed. "How could I forget?"

"For our third-year anniversary, we decided to go to Seattle for the day," she started, turning her gaze back to Bella, "and it was the first time we'd ever really traveled together. I mean, it's not an extravagant journey, but it's a good four hours or so. Anyway, I'd forgotten to take my Dramamine before we left, and Edward had no idea I even _got _motion sickness."

"I had to pull over like, three times, _just_ on the way to the ferry station," I added, shaking my head.

"You drive like a maniac!" she exclaimed. "Anyway, we pulled up on the ferry and made our way up, and immediately after we started moving, I threw up again," she went on, chuckling a little harder. "I _narrowly_ missed his shoes. So, he was rubbing my back, asking what's wrong, and I said 'motion sickness', but I felt another round coming on so I had to say it really quick before I puked again, and _he _thought..." Her eyes squinted shut as she covered her mouth, snorting slightly from so much laughter.

"I thought she said _morning_ sickness, and I...passed out." I finished, laughing right along with her.

"What?" Bella asked through laughter. "You mean...you actually..."

"Right then and there, on the spot. Knocked out _cold_," Tanya answered, gasping as she laughed harder at the memory. "I mean, he literally thumped onto the floor within seconds."

"_Nice_, man," Jacob snorted, patting me on the shoulder.

"I was seventeen!" I defended. "We were two months away from graduation, I'd _just_ sent in my final acceptance to SFSU, and then I think she slaps me in the face with a big fat, 'Happy Anniversary. You're gonna be a Dad!'"

"So you pass _out_ on her?" Bella asked incredulously as Tanya began to calm down.

"I was never any good with unexpected things," I muttered.

"Oh, and you are now?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a lot better than I was! I wouldn't pass out if it happened again," I said with a definitive nod.

"Even if it were _Lauren_?" she teased.

"I'd punch myself in the balls repeatedly if it were Lauren, or _any _of her stupid fucking friends," I shuddered. "But I suppose I can't guarantee I wouldn't pass out if it were them, so I'll tweak the statement and say I may or _may not _pass out, depending on the person. Happy?" I smirked.

"Immensely. Thank you so very much for that story," she said, turning to Tanya with a big grin. "It brings me great joy when Edward is the butt of a joke, and even more so when he looks like an asshole."

"The abuse!" I exclaimed. "Ya know, you judged me prematurely, before we even met, and then the entire week after you did _nothing _but—"

"Oh, bite me, Cullen. That was decades ago," she laughed, shaking her head.

"People don't forget."

"Cry me a river."

"Only if you sing the song, in the exact style of Justin Timberlake."

"You _would_ know that song."

"_Everybody_ knows that song," I retorted.

"I'll bet you know the 'Like I Love You' dance by heart, don't you?" she asked, tilting her head before turning her gaze to Tanya. "Does he?"

"_No_," I answered, "I do not, thank you very much. Just because one of his songs got blown up on the crappy Forks radio stations does _not_ mean that I'm an all-knowing fan of JT."

"Oh, now we're on a nickname basis? JT? What, is he your BFF?" Bella snickered.

"I can't win with you," I muttered, shaking my head.

"The sooner you learn that, the better. She's stubborn as hell," Jacob smirked, slinging an arm across her shoulders.

My ass started vibrating and I shoved my hand into my pocket to retrieve my phone, then pressed the send button to accept the call from Alice.

"Where are you?" she asked immediately.

"Where you left us," I replied. "Where are _you_?"

"By the carousel. Come down here and find us."

"Alright, see you in a—"

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it after I'd heard the beep, signaling that the call had ended.

"Everybody's getting more and more rude as the day progresses," I muttered. "We're being summoned to the carousel," I said with a sigh, motioning for Bella and Jacob to start towards the stairs first, then Tanya and I followed behind them, down the stairs and onto the ground level.

"I like her," Tanya beamed, turning to face me as we walked through the crowded pier. "I approve."

"That's...great, but what exactly is it that you're approving of?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her as she wrapped her hands around my forearm.

"You'll see, eventually," she said coyly.

_**Women.**_

*

"I want to go to the aquarium," Alice blurted as soon as we reached them.

"Told you," I muttered, turning to look at Tanya. We all agreed to go, and headed towards the front of the pier, since that was where it was located.

"How was the fairy shop?" I grinned, looking over at Jasper.

"A little scary," he admitted. "Although, I realized that Alice slightly resembles some of the figurines."

I laughed loudly at that and nodded in agreement. "You better never let her hear you say that."

"Hey, Bella," Emmett said, looking over his shoulder at her with a grin. "You wanna head to the arcade later and play some DDR?"

"As appealing as that may sound, I think I'll have to pass," she replied, shaking her head.

"Fine, I'm sure Ward-o will play with me, won'tcha?"

I scowled and lifted my foot up before shoving it into his backside roughly, causing him to stumble forward. "_What_ did I say about that stupid fucking nickname?"

"That you would kick me in the nuts the next time I said it, which you didn't," he replied cheekily.

"Not yet," I corrected. "You just wait."

He rolled his eyes and smirked before turning forward, slinging his arm around Rosalie's shoulders.

We rode up the escalator leading to the upper level where the entrance of the aquarium was located, each of us grunting about having had to dish out sixteen dollars to see a bunch of fucking fish. After stepping off, we walked down to the end of the level where the entrance was located, handed the person at the door our tickets and walked in, starting through the first series of exhibits.

"You doin' okay there, Bells?" Jacob asked in a teasing tone as we neared the first see-through tunnel. "Do you need to hold my hand?"

"Shut up, asshole," she grunted, but slid her hand into his, interlocking their fingers.

She wasn't kidding when she said they were _affectionate_.

"Are _you_ gonna be okay?" I asked, turning to Tanya.

"_Yes_," she laughed, "moving walkways, ironically enough, don't bother me."

We stepped onto the belt that took us through the tunnel, where tons of fish swam in big schools around the tank. I wasn't terribly impressed, though it hardly had anything to do with the fact that I'd been there before. I was mainly still annoyed at the fact that I had to dish out so much money to go through a gigantic fish tank. Hello, rip-off.

As we stepped off and made our way to the second tunnel, my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and grinned when I saw the caller ID and picture, and pressed the button to answer.

"Hello?"

I couldn't hear a reply and I furrowed my eyebrows, pulling the phone away from my ear and in front of my face. I cursed when I saw that I was fluctuating between one bar of signal and none. I really wanted to take this call.

"Uh, I'm in the aquarium. Let me run outside real quick and I'll call you back," I said, just in case there was enough signal for me to be heard before hanging up. "Hey, I'll be right back I need to make a phone call."

"To who?" Alice asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

"My mom," I lied. "I don't have signal in here, though."

"How the hell are you gonna get out?"

"I'll just run the other way on that thing," I said, pointing to the moving walkway. "I'll be _back_."

"Whatever," she muttered, "we're moving on." I shrugged and started to walk back, but paused as an idea formed in my head. I whirled around quickly, bent down slightly and punched Emmett in the nuts as fast and hard as I could while yelling, 'Don't call me Ward-o again!' then ran like a little bitch to the walkway as he shouted profanities at me. I had to push past quite a bit of people who didn't seem to happy with me and damn near run to get off the fucking thing, but I did, and I made my way through the exhibits quickly before walking out of the building, despite the protests of the lady at the door about the fact that it was an entrance.

I checked my signal again and had nearly all the bars, so I hit the send button twice and put the phone up to my ear, listening to it ring.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello, yourself," I replied with a smirk. "Miss me?"

"Always. I often times wonder how I lived before knowing Edward Cullen existed," she said sarcastically, though I could hear the playfulness in her voice.

"I've wondered how people have done that, too. What a coincidence."

"What are you up to, silly?"

"I'm at the pier with a bunch of my friends. I was in the aquarium when you called, so I had to run out so that I'd have signal."

"Anxious to talk to me, are you?" she said coyly.

"You called me, Adrian," I reminded her. "I was just being polite and calling you back. I mean, what if you had have been getting kidnapped, and I just ignored the call?"

"Right, because if my life were in danger, you'd be the _first _person I'd call. Not the police, or anything."

"You could have been calling me to confess your undying love, thinking you'd never have another opportunity to. That's not something a voice mail should hear."

"You're such an idiot," she said through laughter.

"Part of my charm," I said cheekily, leaning back against the wooden rail. "Really, though. What's up?"

"Nothing. I was just bored, and I hadn't talked to you in a while, so..."

"So...you _did_ miss me? I knew it!" I exclaimed. "Nobody can resist me."

"I didn't say that! I said I hadn't talked to you in a while. Normally we text or whatever, but I haven't heard from you in a couple of days, so I was just being a good friend and making sure you were still alive."

"Like I'm gonna buy that," I scoffed. "You want me. Just say it."

"Dream on, lover boy."

"See? You basically just admitted it by calling me 'lover boy'."

"You win," she sighed dramatically.

"I always do. So, hey, I may need a study partner for the midterm."

"That's nice. Ben is getting a good grade."

"That's nice. I was talking about you."

"That would be an unfair advantage," she said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably.

"Not if you're just quizzing me," I argued.

"I can't be seen with you, Edward," she reminded me.

"Who said we needed to be in public?"

"What, are you going to come all the way to Berkeley to have me _quiz_ you?" she scoffed.

"Sure, why not?" I shrugged, even though she couldn't see me.

"That's ludicrous."

"Will you just chill and _go_ with it? Jeez, it's like pulling teeth to try and spend some time with you," I said, slightly aggravated. She sighed before pausing in silence for a moment.

"Fine. Tuesday night, around 6:30. I'll text you my address before then."

"_Thank _you," I replied, rolling my eyes and shaking my head as a half-smile formed on my lips. "Was that so hard?"

"Oh, shut that perfect mouth of yours and get back to your friends."

"_Perfect mouth_? You _so_ want me—"

"Good bye, Cullen," she chuckled before the beeping in my ear signaled the call being disconnected. I snickered as I shoved my phone into my pocket before making my way back towards the door. The lady who'd yelled at me for exiting through the entrance stopped me before I could walk through, and I looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What's up?" I asked slowly.

"I need to see your ticket," she demanded.

"I just came out of there. Obviously I paid," I muttered as I pulled the ticket out of my pocket and handed it over.

"It's been used."

_Observant, are we?_

"Yes, because I just came _out_ to make an urgent phone call," I said, starting to get annoyed.

"You'll have to purchase another ticket to get back in, sir."

"What the—are you kidding me right now? As it is, I'm practically breaking the bank by giving this crap establishment twenty of my hard-earned dollars, and I didn't even get through the shark tunnel! Now you're telling me to shell out _more _money to get my first ticket's worth, and get back in?" I half-yelled incredulously.

"You're blocking the entrance. I'm going to have to ask you to move," she snapped. I sighed heavily to try and calm myself down. Obviously, yelling was not the way to get through to this woman, so I needed to turn up the Cullen charm.

"Look, I'm sure you can understand how important some phone calls are," I said softly. "And though I'm sure a...fine...lady like yourself probably gets hundreds of calls a day, some of us less fortunate looking ones need to take what we can get."

Okay, so I was laying it on a little thick. What the fuck was I supposed to do? I had to get back inside.

"Cut the crap. You're not getting back in," she scowled.

"Then give me back my fucking money!" I shouted, throwing my ticket at her.

She clenched her jaw and her eyes darkened, making her even more creepy looking than she already did. Not wanting to take a chance at getting my ass kicked, I bent down and picked up my ticket then walked away from the entrance, though not before turning back to glare at her.

Well, shit. What the hell was I going to do, now? There was no point in venturing off on my own since they'd probably be done within another thirty minutes or so. I grudgingly made my way down the stairs and started around the side of the building. I'd just go to the exit and wait for them there, slowly dying of boredom.

I sat down on a bench at the back of the building, watching people climb off the stairs and head back around the building. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out, pressing the button to read my text message.

_**You're getting company in a minute. Wait at the exit.**_

I sighed and stood up, deciding to go upstairs to wait at the door. I leaned against the wooden railing and stared out at nothing in particular as I waited for whoever was coming out. Alice hadn't exactly specified in the text.

"Do you detest sea life as much as I do?" I heard from my side, and turned to see Bella looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Not particularly," I said with a shrug. "I had to take a phone call, and fucking Mrs. Trunchbull at the front wouldn't let me back in," I scowled, instinctively turning my head towards the direction of the entrance. "I guess my charm doesn't work on everyone."

"Aw, cheer up, emo kid," she teased. I feigned an offended expression and shook my head.

"Excuse me, if my vision serves correctly, _you_ are the one wearing a Taking Back Sunday t-shirt," I pointed out, turning towards her and tugging at her sleeve.

"Hey! Taking Back Sunday is _not_—"

"Yes, they are," I grinned, cutting her off. "'Bonus Mosh Part Two', 'You're So Last Summer'? Come on, now."

"Okay, so two songs. That doesn't—hey!" she exclaimed, staring at me incredulously. "How are you gonna sit here, tease me about liking an alleged emo band, and then recite their _song titles_ to me? How does that make any sense?"

"I never said I didn't like them," I pointed out.

"You..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

"I...what?" I grinned, nudging her shoe with mine. "Charm you? Turn you on? Hypnotize you with my beauty? _Dazzle_ you?"

"Irritate me," she finished with a playful scowl. "And for the record, those all essentially mean the same damn thing."

"For the record, that was the point," I grinned crookedly with a wink.

"Whatever," she chuckled. "Hey, I'm gonna go grab a water. You want anything?"

"Nah, but I'll come with you," I said, pushing myself off the ledge and walking towards and down the stairs, around the side of the building then to the right, towards some of the stands.

"Fuck," she grumbled as we stopped at the end of the semi-long line at the Dreyer's shop. "And they take forever."

"Why don't you just buy one at a vending machine?"

"Because it's all the way down there," she said, pointing towards the other end of the pier, "and I don't feel like making the trek."

"I'll bet that you could go get it, walk back, have half the bottle gone and these people ahead of us will still be in line," I told her.

"How much are you willing to wager?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Twenty bucks," I replied immediately.

"You're that sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Fine. You're on," she said, sticking her hand out. I grabbed it and shook it firmly once before we turned around and headed towards the vending machines near the arcade.

"So, you hate sea life, huh?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Yes, especially when Emmett attempts to taunt the shark, and actually _succeeds_," she grunted.

"What do you mean by 'actually succeeds'?"

"The stupid fucking thing came charging at the glass and smacked right into it!"

"Like in _Deep Blue Sea_?" I asked through laughter.

"That's exactly what I thought!" she said, throwing her hands up. "It scared the fuck out of me, and I started screaming and just ran for it. I tried to tough it out for Jake, but fuck that."

"Aww," I cooed, patting her head. "It's okay. The mean shark can't get you out here."

"Shut up, asshole," she laughed, shaking her head. "So, tell me about this lesbian friend of yours who wants your nuts."

"Ashlyn," I grinned. "Nah, we joke about it, but it'll never happen."

"Why, is she not your type?" she asked with a smirk.

"No, she's gorgeous. She's actually kind of like a brunette version of Rosalie—well, with a personality transplant," I added. "It's just not...no," I concluded, shaking my head. "She actually thinks you're pretty hot, though."

"_Me_? How?!" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Jeez, you act like it's unheard of for somebody to be attracted to you," I chuckled.

"Well they're not coming forward if that's not the case."

"Maybe they're intimidated by you," I suggested with a shrug. "You are kind of scary sometimes."

"Thanks," she scoffed, pulling out a few dollar bills from her pocket as we turned into the area that the machines were located and stopped in front of one.

"And that's not true! What about the pedo from the bar, _Maudette_?" I snickered. She turned to glare at me as she ducked down to retrieve her water bottle.

"Fine, I attract all the creeps. Attracting nobody would actually be a step _up_ from that," she grunted as she straightened up, twisting the cap off and gulping down some of her water immediately as we started back. I sighed and pulled out my phone, navigated to my pictures and scrolled through some until I found a good one of Ashlyn, then handed my phone over to Bella.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she took it from my hand.

"Look at the screen," I ordered. She brought it closer to her face and stared at the picture intently.

"Who is this?"

"That's Ashlyn."

"Really? _She_ thinks _I'm_ hot?"

"Yup," I nodded, taking my phone back as she handed it over and stuffing it in my pocket.

"Wow. _She's_ fucking hot," she said in awe before taking another swig of her water.

"And she's not a creep," I smirked.

"That's really good to know," she started. "I mean, since my most recent experiences have been you turning me down while I was half-naked in front of you, and Yorkie grabbing my boob, it's nice to know I have alternative options. Viable options. Viable, sexy, ready and willing—"

"Okay!" I exclaimed. "First of all, we've been over this. You were _drunk_, and I was being good. Secondly, I—wait a minute, somebody grabbed your boob?"

"Unfortunately. He tried to be all smooth about it, too, and act like it was an accident, like my shoulder isn't ten inches away from my rack."

"I hope you punched him," I scowled. What a dick.

"I couldn't, I was at work."

"And? Fuck that, sue for sexual harassment. Don't let him get away with that."

"The look on his face when I take Jake in on Monday will be well worth all of the emotional scarring," she grinned.

"Well if he doesn't stop it, _I'll_ punch him in his face," I grunted. "They can't fire me."

"So willing to be my knight in shining armor," she said jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah. We should probably go back around to the exit," I suggested, nodding towards the aquarium. She nodded in agreement and took another swig of her water. "So, hey, I've been meaning to ask you...when are you planning on leaving for Forks?"

"Saturday morning, why?"

"What time?" I continued.

"I think our flight is at 7."

"Northwest?" I asked with a grin.

"Yeah, _why_?"

"I'm on the same flight."

"You really _are_ stalking me, aren't you?" she smirked, lifting her bottle to her lips.

"Only in your dreams," I said cheekily. "How are you getting home?"

"Oh, is _that_ what this Spanish inquisition is about? You need a ride home? I feel so used."

"_No_," I laughed, shaking my head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"It's a natural talent," she shrugged.

"Actually, I was going to offer _you_ a ride home. My parents are driving my car to the airport when they leave, and parking it so I can drive back."

"Really? Are you sure? I mean, Jake will be with me, too..."

"I can drop him off in La Push, it's no big deal." It was actually perfect, since it would give me another reason to drive a little bit more. I missed being behind the wheel.

"That'd be great. I hate riding in that stupid police cruiser," she said, smiling up at me. "Thank you."

"No problem," I shrugged. We were approaching the Dreyer's stand again and I searched the line before grinning widely. "Ha! What did I tell you?" I snickered, pointing to the couple we were standing behind in line. "They're still there. Cough it up!"

"They're heading to the register!" she exclaimed.

"They were still in line when they were spotted," I pointed out, motioning with my hand for her to hand the money over.

"Fine, but my water isn't halfway gone," she said with a smug smile. I swiftly snatched it out of her hands and gulped it down quickly before lifting it in the air.

"It is now," I grinned, handing it back to her.

"That doesn't count! You _cheated_!"

"I didn't actually _specify_, I just said half the bottle would be gone, and it is. Pay up!"

"Yes, but you _also_ started the wager out with 'I'll bet _you_ could', which does indeed imply that _I _would be the one drinking it."

"Implications do not equal specifications."

"I can call up Jessica right now and tell her that you've realized you're still slightly undecided about your sexuality, and that you'd like to use her as a guinea pig next," she threatened, pulling out her phone.

"Fine, _fine_. Truce?" I asked, and she nodded triumphantly before stuffing her phone back into her pocket. "You fight dirty, Swan."

"That's the only way to go," she said cheekily, gulping down more of her water before twisting the cap back on. "You know what I just noticed?"

"What?"

"We match. Well, kind of."

"So we do," I smirked, though I'd already noticed that earlier in the day. I decided to mess with her a little bit and leaned back, letting my gaze scan down her back slowly until it rested on her ass.

"Are you checking out my ass?" she asked, smacking me hard in the arm.

"Ow!" I laughed loudly, rubbing my arm where she hit me. "I was just trying to look for the little red label, right...there," I said, poking at the small Dickies label sewn onto the pocket of her pants, which just so happened to reside on her backside.

"No touching!" she snapped, though she was grinning, and smacked my hand quickly. "I did not say you could violate me."

"Apparently, today is the day for molestation. Besides, it's not _my_ fault you have a bubble butt that's practically _begging_ to be poked."

"I don't have a bubble butt!" she screeched, turning towards me and swatting her hands at me as we slowed our strides, nearing the stairs at the exit of the aquarium. I chuckled, stopped walking and reached up to grab her wrists in my hands, flinching a few times as she made contact with my chest before succeeding in capturing them.

"So _you_ can violate _me_ and that's okay, but if I _innocently _point out the label on your pants that just so _happens_ to be located on your _bubble butt—_yes, you _do_ have a bubble butt, and there's nothing wrong with that—it's blasphemy?"

"I did not violate you!" she laughed, attempting to wiggle her wrists out of my grasp to no avail.

"Please, you were _totally _copping a feel of my chest. You didn't have to hit me to do it, though. You could have just asked."

"You know, arrogance is often times used to distract from the underlying insecurities a person possesses," she said matter-of-factly, giving up on her efforts to break free.

"I know my flaws," I smirked. She looked up at me with a raised eyebrow, and the corners of her mouth twitched.

"Sure."

"I do," I insisted. "For example, I unabashedly flirt. I can't resist a pretty face," I said, looking down at her with a wink. Her face flushed and she cleared her throat, averting her gaze.

"What else?" she asked.

"I'm really cranky in the mornings."

She pursed her lips as a smile formed on her mouth. "Uh huh."

"I have stretch marks on my back from a crazy growth spurt when I was fourteen."

"Keep going," she urged, her eyes locking on mine in amusement.

"I have a butt chin. Why am I the only one talking about my flaws, here?" I chuckled.

"Because you're the one who insisted you know your flaws," she replied.

"Fair enough," I said, rolling my eyes at her expectant gaze. "One of my eyes is a different shade of green than the other."

"Really?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and leaning closer to my face as she stood on her tip-toes. "I can't—"

"Okay, you guys have been standing here, looking like assholes for long enough," Rosalie's voice said out of nowhere.

"Huh?" I asked, looking over at her in confusion and spotting the other three of the girls staring at us with different expressions.

"You've been holding onto her wrists for ten years, now," Tanya answered, her gaze flitting between Bella and me. I looked down and realized I did, indeed, still have her wrists in my hands, and dropped them quickly, backing away.

"Sorry," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck sheepishly. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, I'm fine," she answered, though her eyes never met mine. "Where's everybody else?"

"Still inside, at the petting area, _still_ talking about the shark. We thought we'd come and keep you two company. Apparently, though, you didn't need it," Rosalie mused with a small smirk.

"Yeah..." I trailed off, lamely, scratching my head.

What the hell had just happened?

"I need to use the restroom," Alice announced, linking arms with Tanya.

"Thanks for sharing," I scoffed. The estrogen level at that moment was suffocating.

"So do I," Rosalie added, grabbing Bella by her wrist. "Come on, you do too."

"Thanks. I never would have been able to figure that out on my own," she responded dryly. Rosalie rolled her eyes and yanked her along as the group of four started towards the front of the building.

Another thing I'd never understand: their need to pee in groups.

I heard Emmett's loud ass voice nearing as the girls disappeared from my sight, and I turned around, seeing Jacob, Jasper and him bounding down the stairs.

"I touched a baby shark!" he exclaimed

"Oh, joy!" I mocked.

"Where's my woman?" he demanded, completely changing the subject.

"Kidnapping the other women and forcing them to pee together," I replied.

"I'll never understand it," he mumbled. "By the way, you better watch your back for that little stunt you pulled in there."

"You were warned, and you had it coming," I shrugged before suggesting we head towards the bathrooms to wait for the girls. We all started our trek to the closest bathrooms, and Emmett and Jacob were ahead of Jasper and me, talking animatedly about God only knew what. Emmett got quite passionate about the dumbest shit you could think of.

"Are you okay, man?" Jasper chuckled, smacking my forearm lightly with the back of his hand. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I think Bella and I had a moment, earlier," I blurted, cringing slightly at my temporary lack of a filter as I turned my head towards his.

"Doesn't really surprise me," he shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching as he fought a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Edward. It was bound to happen, especially with the way you guys have been flirting all day."

"We weren't flirting!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, you were," Emmett butted in, turning around.

"I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where anybody included you in this conversation," I snapped, kicking the back of his shoe.

"I'm just sayin'," he said, turning around quickly to kick my shoe as well before facing forward again.

I scowled at his back, but dropped the subject and quieted down as Emmett and Jacob resumed their conversation. I supposed that I _had_ been flirting with her, but there was no harm in that, right? I mean, as far as I knew, there wasn't any law stating that Bella Swan and I couldn't partake in some friendly flirting. And what did Jasper mean by, 'it was bound to happen'? How did he figure that?

I groaned softly and pressed my palms into my eyes, rubbing at them roughly before dropping them with a heavy sigh. I concluded that I really didn't need to know what the alleged 'moment' meant, because more than likely, it meant nothing. I hadn't even realized that anything spectacular was going on until Rosalie and Tanya put it in my head, which only helped me determine that it really _had_ been nothing. I couldn't help it if outside parties wanted to make their own, wrong--_very _wrong—assumptions.

At least, that's what I'd keep telling myself.

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**End Notes**: Leave me lots of reviews to read when I get back, and let me know what you thought of this chapter. :)


	15. Ch 14: Grumpy Frumpy & the PeePee Police

**Chapter Notes:** Ugh! Sorry this post is so late, guys. The stupid Document Uploader wasn't working at all when I tried to post before going to bed, so I couldn't do it until now. I hope it's worth the slightly-longer wait, though. Also, the stupid thing cut me off on the title. This chapter is called "Grumpy, Frumpy, & the Pee-Pee Police".

So...the Bellie nominations are happenin'. My amazing girls on the thread have told me they've nominated my story, most of them for best UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension). I'm not expecting in the least to get on the final list. Hell, I didn't even think anybody other than Hannah would even bother to _nominate_ me, so I'm extremely grateful for the fact that they did. :) If any of you guys want to go over there and nominate my story for any category you think it qualifies for, though, feel free.

http://www[dot]thecatt[dot]net/tw/Default[dot]aspx

Just sayin'...

Another HUGE thanks to everybody who's plugged my story anywhere. I appreciate it more than you know. Off the top of my head: Kassiah, Maximista, Hannah81, and GiveUsAKiss413--THANK YOU! I love you all.

I don't care what she says, I'm pluggin' the shit out of GiveUsAKiss413's story, Past and Present. It's fucking AMAZING, you guys, and if you haven't read it, I demand you do so immediately. She'll love it, regardless of her protests, 'cos that's just how she rolls. K, lets make out now. Both boobies are up for grabs, promise. 3

Infinite thank you's to my lovah for constantly helping me when I'm stuck, and giving me ideas. You're amaaaazing. :)

I've got some readers following me on Twitter, but just in case any more of you want to: twitter[dot]com/sixeightshuffle

ALSO! Peter Facinelli has made a hilarious bet with his friend that he can get 500,000 followers by Friday. So far, he's nowhere near close, so any of you with twitter need to go and follow him IMMEDIATELY! twitter[dot]com/peterfacinelli

This chapter is relatively long; 20 pages, to be exact. Hope you enjoy. :)

**Disclaimer: **What I own: An almost-obsession with the Facebook game Farm Town, thanks to my Mom. ugh.  
What I don't own: Twilight, bitches. As if you didn't know.

* * *

Chapter Song: Great DJ - The Ting Tings

* * *

_-B-_

What the _hell_ happened?

I'd been completely lost in the moment—_our_ moment, though I was still a little reluctant to admit that. I mean, come on, this was _Edward and me_ we were talking about—then suddenly, I was being dragged off to the bathroom because, apparently, I had an urge I couldn't feel to pee.

"Um...what about the guys?" I asked as I walked behind Alice and Tanya, arm linked with Rosalie's, through the crowded pier.

"They'll follow us and wait," Alice piped in, turning her head and smiling at me over her shoulder.

Damn.

I tried to pull my arm out of Rosalie's as we neared the bathrooms with an inkling of hope that, if I succeeded, I could make a run for it; assuming I didn't trip and fall as soon as I spun around, of course. It was as if she could read my mind, though, and she pressed her arm closer to her side, effectively trapping mine as well.

_Dammit_! I already knew her ass would interrogate me about what she saw, but I didn't have any answers for her. I grimaced as we walked into the bathroom, crying internally as Alice and Tanya stopped walking and turned to face us.

"Were you about to kiss Edward?" Rosalie demanded.

"You don't waste a minute, do you?" I muttered.

"You should know better than to expect anything else," she chided. "Now answer."

"No, I wasn't," I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes. "I was trying to look at his eyes."

"You couldn't gaze lovingly into them from afar? You had to be all up in his face?"

"He said his eyes were two different shades of green!" I defended. "I was trying to see."

"That's true, they are," Alice nodded, looking at Rosalie.

"Fine, but why was he holding your wrists?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was trying to smack him, so he grabbed them to keep me from doing so."

"But you didn't pull awaaaay," she noted in a sing-song voice—very unlike Rosalie.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," I said sarcastically. "Now, if we're through, I actually _do_ have to pee now, thanks."

I walked quickly to the nearest open stall and closed and locked the door behind me before leaning against it and exhaling, closing my eyes. I just needed a minute to collect myself.

"I don't hear tinkling, Bella, and I'm pretty sure you don't stand, facing the toilet, to pee."

I turned my head towards Rosalie's voice and stared incredulously at the wall as I pushed off of the door, turned around, and _loudly_ unzipped my pants before shoving them down to my ankles.

"Put a toilet seat cover down!" she shrieked.

"Jesus! What _are_ you, the pee-pee police?" I snapped, reaching behind me to grab a piece of the tissue paper before laying it down on the seat and sitting down.

"You'll thank me when your STD tests come back clean."

I took care of my business then pulled my pants up, turning around and using my foot to flush the toilet before emerging from the stall.

"Okay, first of all," I said, heading to the sinks, "that's such bullshit. And secondly," I added, turning on the water and washing my hands, "I could get an STD if I stupidly had unprotected sex with somebody."

"You're like...asexual, Bella, so that's irrelevant," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I am not!" I protested, turning off the water and shaking my hands over the sink.

"You don't have sex, ever. If you did, you wouldn't be such a hag at times."

"You have sex all the time," I pointed out, pulling a paper towel out of the dispenser and drying my hands as I walked towards where the girls were standing, "and you're _always_ a hag."

"Real cute," she replied sarcastically.

"I know," I retorted with a cheeky smile, tossing the paper towel in the trash.

"Come on you whore," she smirked, throwing her arm around my shoulders as we walked out of the bathroom.

"Ooh, say it again," I teased, looking up at her and winking.

"Were you guys having an orgy?"

I looked ahead of me and saw the guys lined against the wall, Emmett staring expectantly between us.

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward snapped, smacking him in the head. "God, you're such a moron."

"It's a legitimate question, asshat!" he shouted, smacking Edward back. I stared on in amusement as a full-fledged testosterone war erupted in the middle of the hall.

"I swear," Alice started, shaking her head at the two. "_They_ should have been siblings." Rosalie hummed in agreement and looked around, bored, as she waited for them to finish. I walked over to Jake and immediately wrapped my arms around his waist, tilting my head back to look up at him as he rested his hand on my lower back.

"Hi," I smiled.

"Hi, back," he responded with a wink as he looked down at me.

"Having fun?"

"Mhm, but I kinda miss my best friend."

"Wanna just venture out on our own for a bit until we have to leave?" I asked, lowering my head and resting my cheek against his stomach.

"Nah, we can stay, if you want," he shrugged, kissing my hair. "I'm cool with it."

After the guys were done being idiots, we talked amongst ourselves and decided to exit the wharf and walk down to Madame Tussauds. In typical male fashion, they all yelled 'Hooters!' when the huge billboard became visible, and us girls just rolled our eyes at the fact that they couldn't simply ignore it. According to Emmett, it'd be "a travesty to ignore the sign—for the chicken wings, of course."

Of course.

We paid and entered the wax museum, making fun of the stupid celebrities that got replicas of themselves inducted into the place, then wandered around the street shops afterwards for a while. Finally, around five, Jake and I decided to head out since I had to be at work by eight.

The ride back was comfortable. Jake and I fell into easy conversation, and it was moments like those, when our hands were intertwined and I could _feel_ him, where I realized just how much I missed him, all the time. Simply being in his presence made me feel completely different, almost as if I'd been missing a part of myself all that time without even knowing it.

We got back to the apartment and relaxed a bit before I changed for work and got ready to leave. Even though I warned him that he'd be extremely bored, he demanded that he accompany me to work, saying he didn't want to be left all alone in the apartment, nor did he want to waste our limited time together watching television. Not even halfway through my shift at Mary Ward, he was whining like a baby, even though he had a computer right in front of him for entertainment.

"I tried to warn you," I chuckled, refreshing my Facebook home page.

"I didn't think it'd be _this_ boring," he muttered, slouching in his chair.

"You can always go back to the apartment," I suggested.

"No way! It's dark outside."

"Are you kidding me right now?" I asked, staring blankly at him. "Are you seriously trying to tell me you're afraid of walking alone in the dark?"

"_No_," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I don't want _you_ walking home alone in the dark."

"Okay _Edward_," I said, shaking my head with a heavy sigh.

"What?"

"He says the same shit. He tries to demand that I text or call him when I get home after working late shifts," I chuckled.

Apparently, Jake didn't find that too amusing, because he had a permanent frown on his face any time Edward was mentioned for the rest of the night.

By the time three AM rolled around, we were both exhausted, and I was extremely thankful that the person taking over the desk was on time. We trudged down the sidewalk silently, slowly making our way to the apartment. As soon as we made it inside, we headed straight for the room, got undressed—we didn't even care enough to be bothered with modesty at that point—and climbed into bed. Before we fell asleep, Jake informed me that he'd be staying at the apartment for the duration of my shift the next night.

~º~º~

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest, staring at the blank television screen. I was fucking bored. It was eleven in the morning, and Jacob was still sleeping. I had half a mind to go and pounce on him in bed to wake him up, but I dismissed the idea. He worked his ass off and hardly ever got time to just relax and sleep until he couldn't sleep any more. This was _his _vacation, not mine, and he needed to be fully rested for the week ahead.

I lifted one of the strings from my hoodie—I'd pulled it on after I'd woken up—to my mouth and chewed on the end as I stood up and walked to the windows, swinging my arms back and forth. I pulled the blinds forward and stuck my hand underneath, feeling for the lock, then flipped it to the other side before pushing up the window and lowering the blinds again. I twisted the handle to open them, then went around the TV to do the same to the other side. I turned around and searched the room for something else to do. I'd already meticulously cleaned the entire apartment before Jake's arrival, so much so that Angela had snapped at me and ordered me into my room, so I couldn't busy myself with that. I could have made a big breakfast, but I knew the smell would rouse him, and though it would be for a good cause, I didn't want to jip him of his rest. I finally decided to just grab one of the board games from the hall closet. Fuck it, I'd make it work with one player.

I walked into the hall and pulled open the closet door slowly. Scanning the sides of the boxes, I quickly deduced that it would just be easier to snag the game on top, which happened to be Twister. How convenient. I pushed the door closed and tip-toed out of the hall and back into the living room. There was more space behind the couch to play, so once I'd picked the best spot I sunk to my knees, opening the box and pulling out the folded mat and the spinner. I spread the mat out and grabbed the spinner before standing upright and hopping to the opposite side.

"Okay," I sighed, spinning the pointer and staring as it slowed to a stop. "Left foot green."

In no time, I'd managed to position myself in a slightly painful frontward lunge with one hand under my thigh and the other to the right of my foot.

"Shit," I muttered, looking to my left at the spinner.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Oh, so _now _he decided to wake up.

"Immensely," I said sarcastically, internally debating on which hand I should lift to spin.

"Why exactly are you playing a multi-player game _alone_?" he asked, and I heard his footsteps against the carpet.

"Workin' out the kinks. I'm trying to make myself as agile as possible for you, baby."

"You know I love it when you talk dirty to me." I felt a hard smack on my ass and yelped, losing my balance and falling to the side.

"Ouch," I said simply.

"You need to work on your balance, too, if you're gonna keep up with me," he chuckled, tilting his head to the side and looking down at me as he extended both of his hands out. I slipped mine into his and he pulled me upright effortlessly. Smoothing my hair down, I glared at the mat. There were simply too many dots and I did not possess enough limbs to play efficiently. Prejudiced game.

"Hungry?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Not right now," he replied, scratching the back of his head. In addition to the PJ pants he'd been wearing all night, he'd put on a hoodie as well before coming out of the room. "I have to take a piss."

"Then go take a piss," I laughed, gesturing towards the bathroom.

"Yes ma'am. Don't put this away, though," he said, pointing to the mat.

"Why not?"

"'Cos we're gonna play a good ol' game of Strip Twister," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows before walking to the bathroom, ignoring my protests. I huffed and decided I definitely needed more articles of clothing if I was going to play that damn version of the game, considering I _always _managed to land on red, and tip-toed in the direction of my bedroom. "And don't you dare put more clothes on, Bella!" he shouted through the door. "I know you."

"Dammit, Jake," I whined, turning right back around and kicking the side of the couch. I heard the toilet flush and the water turn on then off before the door creaked open and he walked back into the living room.

"What are you wearing?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Boxers, these pants, a shirt and my hoodie," he replied, raising his eyebrow with a small smirk. I grunted and grabbed the spinner before handing it over to him.

"You first," I ordered. He chuckled and spun the pointer, both of us staring as it slowed at right hand yellow. He handed it to me before going to the opposite side of the mat and bending down to place his hand on one of the yellow dots. I flicked the end of the spinner and groaned as it landed on right foot red. "I can't catch a break," I complained, setting the spinner down to Jake's left before I stuck my right foot on the nearest red dot and peeled off my hoodie. He laughed heartily and I growled, throwing it across the couch.

"This game will be over in no time if you keep it up," he teased, spinning the pointer with his free hand. "Aw, damn."

I snickered as he put his left foot on a red dot and struggled to pull off his hoodie with one hand.

It wasn't long before we were both bent into extremely awkward positions and stripped down to our shirts and underwear. I was becoming incessantly nervous, considering I had no bra on, but luck had been on my side for the last few spins, so I had some hope.

"Fuck!" Jake hissed as he put his hand back down on the mat after spinning, and slowly slid his right foot from blue to red before lifting his right hand and tugging his shirt over his head from the neck. He put his hand back down and lifted his left arm to rid of it then threw it over the couch, sliding the spinner to me before putting that hand back down as well. I laughed loudly and lifted my right hand to spin then placed it back on the mat.

"Right foot yellow," I taunted, readjusting my position slowly so that I was belly-up with my hands and feet firmly planted on their correct colored dots. He narrowed his eyes at me before spinning, a grin breaking out across his face as the pointer stopped.

"Right hand blue," he said, leaning forward and placing his hand on the dot directly to the side of me. My breath caught in my throat as he positioned himself almost directly between my legs. I could feel the heat radiating off his chest through my flimsy wife beater, and I swallowed hard.

_God, I really need to get laid._

"I, uh...I need the pointer...thing," I said softly, averting my gaze. "No, actually, just spin for me," I corrected hurriedly. I closed my eyes tightly and waited as I heard the swishing sound of the plastic against the cardboard and held my breath when it stopped.

"Left hand red," he replied slowly. I exhaled heavily and shook my head slightly, scrunching up my nose as I internally prayed for some kind of miracle so that I wouldn't have to forfeit _or_ take off my shirt. Just then, the phone started ringing and I rejoiced silently, opening my eyes and meeting his deep, brown ones as he stared at me in amusement.

_Please be somebody important, please be somebody important._

The machine came on and I glanced over to the glass table as the recorded message played then beeped.

"Isabella Swan, I know you're awake!" Rosalie's voice shouted. "Answer this phone right now...unless you're having sex. Are you having sex?! You _are_, aren't you?" I gave up and plopped down onto the mat before standing up, then scrambled towards the phone. "You're fucking the do-og, you're fucking the—"

"No I'm not!" I shouted through Jake's triumphant howls after I'd pressed the talk button.

"I figured that'd get you to the phone," she replied smugly.

"Very funny, asshole," I said sarcastically. "What do you want?"

"Can't I just call to talk to my dear friend without needing something?"

"Sure, but not in the morning," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "What the—"

I felt something soft hit my leg then fall to my feet. I looked down in confusion before seeing my PJ pants and hoodie.

"Oh, thanks," I said, bending down to retrieve my pants as I looked over to Jake, who was pulling his clothes back on as well.

"For what?" Rosalie asked.

"Oh, no, not you."

"What the hell?" she snapped. "What are you talking about?"

"I was saying thank you to Jake for throwing me my clothes," I sighed, cradling the phone between my ear and shoulder as I crouched slightly to pull my pants on.

"You don't have any clothes on?!"

"What? No! I mean, yes, I do, he was just throwing me my pants, and—"

"Your pants are off?! Oh, my God, you _were_ having sex, weren't you?!" she exclaimed.

"NO!" I yelled, standing upright and almost dropping the phone as I grabbed it from it's previous position. "No, we were playing strip Twister, and—"

"It's okay to have sex, Bella. You don't need to make excuses. I'll let you get back to it. Bye!"

"But I wasn't having sex!" I argued, though a dial tone cut me off mid-sentence. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it with my mouth hanging open slightly.

"Close your mouth, flies will get in," Jake said, pushing my jaw up with his fingers. I blinked and turned to him, staring blankly.

"I don't understand why everybody assumes that we're fucking," I said bluntly, pressing the off button before placing the phone back in the cradle. He chuckled and shrugged, leaning his shoulder against the wall.

"Because apparently, girls and boys can't be friends at our age. We just defy logic, I guess," he grinned. I smiled and rolled my eyes, bending down to pick up my hoodie.

"So what do you want to do today?" I asked.

"I dunno," he said, standing upright. "Wanna go see a movie?"

"You came all the way to California just to see a movie?" I joked, tossing my sweatshirt back and forth between my hands.

"Sure, sure. I mean, come on, movies are _made_ in California. They're bound to be better to watch here, too," he chuckled with a wink.

"Uh huh. Well, I'm going to take a shower. You go online and see what movies are playing at the theater in Daly City and decide on one."

"Yes ma'am," he said, saluting me then marching towards my bedroom. I scoffed at his antics and followed him to get some clothes and other necessities before retreating to the bathroom and showering quickly.

I wrapped the towel around my body and wrung out my hair before stepping out of the tub and onto the rug. I dried myself off thoroughly then twisted the towel around my hair. After I applied my deodorant, I put on my underwear and bra, then pulled on a pair of grey Bermuda shorts and a plain black tank top. After brushing my teeth, I bent down and untwisted the towel before drying my hair roughly with it to get out the excess moisture. Standing upright, I grabbed my brush off the sink and combed the tangles out of my hair thoroughly before pulling it up into a wet, messy bun.

I wiped some steam off of the mirror and opened the door to let some of the heat out as I began applying some make-up.

"Hey, Bells," Jake called from my room.

"Huh?" I acknowledged, putting some foundation on a small sponge.

"How about 10,000 BC?"

"What's that about?" I asked, rubbing the sponge against my skin and evenly applying the foundation.

"My people! No, I'm kidding," he chuckled. "I'm not really sure. Something about hunters and a tribe and woolly mammoths, I think, but Camilla Belle is in it, and she's fucking hot."

"Yeah, she's pretty," I agreed, opening my powder and dabbing my brush in before blowing on the end and rubbing it across my face. "Her eyebrows bother me, though."

"S'not a deal breaker."

I snorted and grinned, shaking my head as I applied a light coat of bronze eyeshadow to my lids followed by mascara on my lashes. "Well, if that's what you want to see, that's fine with me."

"Sweet. Now get out of the bathroom, I need to shower," he said from behind me. I jumped a bit, startled at the close proximity of his voice.

"Must you sneak up on me like that?" I scolded, putting my makeup back into my little bag before shoving it inside the mirror.

"Sorry. Move it," he demanded, smacking my ass. I squealed and turned around, smacking him in the chest before running out of the door, laughing.

He showered and dressed quickly, and by a quarter to one, we were out the door and headed to the Century 20 theater in Daly City.

*

"I can't believe I paid ten dollars for this movie," I muttered, staring blankly at the huge theater screen. We'd been watching it for what felt like years, but in reality had only been about forty-five minutes. "It fucking sucks."

"This popcorn sucks, too," Jake said, staring at the bucket distastefully and tossing the contents around with his fingers. "And Camilla isn't even hot in this movie."

I snickered at his pitiful expression and covered my mouth with my hands. He turned his head sharply towards me and glared before picking up a few pieces of popcorn and chucking them at my head.

"Hey!" I exclaimed through giggles, throwing my arms over my face to shield myself.

"Shhh!" an elderly lady two rows down hissed, turning around alongside her husband to give us an evil eye.

"Sorry," I said quietly, slouching slightly in my seat.

It was Jake's turn to laugh at my expense, this time, and I smacked his stomach roughly with the back of my hand before grabbing some popcorn and throwing it at him. Some of the pieces ricocheted off of his raised arm, though—damn his fast reflexes—and flew down and into the lady's brown, curly hair. I covered my mouth with my hands and, wide-eyed, started laughing as quietly as I could manage. I felt Jake shaking with laughter next to me, but I didn't dare look over at him because I knew I'd start laughing hysterically if I did.

"Do it again," he whispered, still laughing.

"No!" I whispered back, harshly. "That's so wrong."

"SHHH!!" she hissed again, her and her husband turning back around just to glare at us once more.

I narrowed my eyes at them as they faced forward once again, then wordlessly grabbed a more popcorn and threw it at Jake. He raised his arm again, and this time it landed in her husband's hair, too. He felt it, unlike her, and instinctively raised his hand to his head, felt for the offending object then threw the popcorn to the ground before turning around and scowling at us. We immediately looked back to the movie screen, attempting for all it was worth to keep straight faces until he turned around before erupting into quiet giggles once again. I leaned my forehead against his upper arm and he rested his against my hair as he gripped the popcorn bucket tightly.

"Do you even know what's going on in the movie?" I asked, wiping under my eyes as I sat up.

"Nope, but at least we're getting our money's worth in entertainment from Grumpy and Frumpy, up there," he replied, chuckling softly.

"**_SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_**"

"Oh, ya **_know_** what?!" I shouted before standing up, grabbing a huge handful of popcorn and chucking it straight at her head without thinking. She gasped and shrieked as the pieces smacked her in the face, and Jake howled in laughter before he stood up and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the row and up the aisle to the doors. He threw the bucket of popcorn away as we exited, still laughing hysterically, and I joined in as we stepped onto the escalator that would take us down to the exit of the building.

"What the fuck, Bella?" he asked rubbing his face and shaking his head.

"It was instinct," I replied, biting my thumb with a sheepish smile on my face. We stepped off the escalator and walked out the doors, met with a nice breeze as we turned to walk down the sidewalk, towards the BART station.

"I fucking love you," he declared through chuckles, throwing his arm around my shoulders. I grinned and wrapped my arm around his waist, leaning against his side.

"I fucking love you, too."

We stopped for ice cream at Cold Stone since it was on the way to the station—we were both a bit hungry, but not hungry enough for a meal. Since it was already mid-afternoon, we decided to forfeit lunch and just eat an early dinner at Olive Garden in a few hours.

"So what do you want to do now, then?" I asked, shoving a spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream mixed with Twix into my mouth as we strolled down the sidewalk.

"You know this place better than I do," he shrugged, licking his spoon clean before digging it into his cup.

"Yeah, but you know me. I don't do all that touristy bullshit, I pretty much just walk around aimlessly in different parts of the city."

"That's cool with me," he replied with a smile. "How far does that thing go?" he asked, motioning towards the BART with his head.

"The BART?" I questioned, earning a nod from him. "All over the bay area. Richmond, Pleasanton, Fremont...we could go to Oakland," I snickered.

"Yeah, no thanks," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I'd like to live."

"Aw, come on," I teased. "There's bullet proof windows in the establishments."

"Oh, well that makes me feel _so_ much better," he scoffed, shoveling a heap of ice cream into his mouth.

"Fine," I sighed dramatically. "I suppose we can stick within the confines of the city. We gotta finish these before we go into the station, though."

"Will the mean old security lady yell at us if we don't?" he joked.

"Pretty much," I laughed, nodding.

We stopped at the ticket machines and hurriedly ate the rest of our ice cream, groaning from brain freeze as we threw our cups away. We each put ten more dollars on our existing tickets, just to be safe since we didn't really know where we'd be getting off, then made our way through the barricades and up the escalators to the East bound platform.

We took to first train, since all of them went through the city before branching off, and rode it to the Embarcadero. There wasn't much to do—it was mainly businesses—but it was a nice area to walk around in, nonetheless, and we ended up seeing some really nice places that I hadn't even known were there. We marveled over how exquisite the apartments were in the area, and joked about how they probably cost five years worth of our salaries _combined_ for one month's rent.

After walking to the MUNI station, we boarded the M line and rode down to the Castro station. Jake had been fully warned that it was deemed the 'gay' area of the city, but he still wanted to see it for himself. Needless to say, he was shell-shocked. Though I thoroughly disagreed with any claims that San Francisco was the 'gayest' city in America—I simply believed that people in San Francisco had less shame in openly acknowledging their sexuality—I could understand that having it thrown in his face like that was a huge deal for Jake. He came from a place where everybody knew everybody else from birth, and in small towns like that, you didn't generally see such flamboyancy.

He also got checked out shamelessly by some of the men running with their dogs, and he cowered into my side—which was funny in and of itself since he was over a foot taller than me—before asking if we could leave immediately. By that time, it was already a past four PM, so we decided to head over to the restaurant, located at the Stonestown Galleria, about two blocks from the school. We boarded the M line, once again, and rode it for about thirty-five minutes to the stop directly in front of the Mall before shuffling off, down the ramp and across the street with the crowd.

It was about a twenty minute wait before we got seated, and about as long until we ordered our meal. Our salad and bread sticks came relatively fast—highly uncommon for the restaurant—and we munched on them while conversing lightly and waiting for our meals to arrive. Naturally, those took years to come out, and we'd been practically starving to death since we hadn't even gotten a refill on the bread sticks or salad, so we dug in greedily, not even bothering to talk until our hunger had been somewhat satiated. We ate the rest of our meal slowly, savoring the taste, even though Jake still insisted that Bella Italia, an Italian restaurant in Port Angeles, was much better.

I got a box for my leftovers—Jake ate all of his, not surprisingly—and we split the cost of the bill after much persuasion on my part before heading out of the restaurant and to the bus stop. It had already gotten dark while we'd been inside, and as we sat under the small plastic shelter with ridiculously uncomfortable seats, I pulled out my phone to check the time.

"Shit!" I yelled, whirling around to look at the schedule board and holding my cell phone to it for some light. "Shit shit _shit_!"

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, frantically.

"It's 7:30!" I exclaimed, sliding my finger across the times for the 17 bus.

"So?"

"_So_, I have to be at work at 8, and according to this, the bus doesn't get here for another five minutes."

"Well how long does it take to get back to the apartment?" he questioned, scratching his neck.

"About ten minutes," I sighed, rubbing a hand down my face.

"Then what the hell are you shouting about? You have time."

"No, I don't. I still have to get _ready _for work, Jake. Just getting inside the apartment from the bus stop will take about five minutes, and I need to study for my mid-terms, so I also have to gather all my books, _get_ to the dorms and clock in before eight!" I shouted, throwing the arm that wasn't holding my food in the air.

"Oh," he said simply, scrunching up his nose. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," I huffed, closing my eyes. "I should have been keeping better track of time. It just didn't seem like that long."

I heard the sounds of a bus and prayed as I turned to check the number that it was the 17. Thankfully, it was, and we boarded and paid the fare before plopping down onto the hard seats. The entire ride back I nervously checked my phone. Jake plucked it out of my hand in annoyance and hid it in his big hand, crossing his arms over his chest so I couldn't get it. I glared at him and kicked his foot petulantly; if he thought that by taking my form of a clock away from me, it'd help me stress out less, he was sorely mistaken. It only made me stress more, because I had no chance to formulate a plan on how to go about gathering everything and still making it into work on time. Asshole.

When the bus pulled up in front of the apartments, I was already at the back doors, waiting impatiently for them to open. When they did, I jumped off and bolted down the sidewalk, hearing Jake's footsteps behind me. Of course; it wouldn't have taken him long to catch up with me.

"5531!" I shouted over my shoulder as I punched in the code for the door and threw it open, then ran through the lobby, up the steps and to the front door, fishing my keys out of my bag and shoving them into the lock before throwing the door open.

"Bella? What the hell?"

Angela had apparently gotten home while we'd been gone, and she was staring at me in alarm from the couch as I threw my box onto the kitchen counter and tore through the living room.

"Hey Ang, late for work, can't talk right now!" I shouted as I ran into my room. I found my purple polo easily in my closet and yanked it off the hanger before throwing it on my bed, then grabbed my backpack and opened it forcefully. I looked inside to see if the books I needed were in my bag, and found I only needed one more that was on my desk. I ran over to it and grabbed my book along with the study guide I'd been working on Friday night before I'd gone to meet Jake at the airport, then ran back to my bed and shoved it inside my backpack before zipping it up. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 7:53, and I realized that if I left right then and ran all the way to Towers, I could make it.

I heard Jake in the living room as I shrugged on my backpack hurriedly and grabbed my work shirt, folding it over one of my straps before rushing out of the room.

"Phone, now," I demanded as I stopped in front of him, motioning for him to hand it over. He narrowed his eyes and slapped it down onto my palm, and I reached up with my free hand to grab his neck, pulled him down to my level and kissed his cheek before calling out a quick 'bye!', grabbing my lanyard with my work ID on it from the hook by the door and running out.

I quickly prayed that I wouldn't get hit by a car on the way over as I ran down the block, crossing the street to the small parking hut, then crossing the street again to the divider. There was a car coming down the second street I had to cross, so I stopped, watching it anxiously as it seemingly crept down the road.

"Hurry _up_!" I hissed, scowling at the driver as it finally passed me before running across the street again, down the long sidewalk and veering to the right, onto campus grounds.

I slid my ID card through the scanner and opened the first set of automatic doors as I stopped in front of Towers before jogging through, which opened the second set of doors leading into the lobby. I stopped and hunched over, resting my palms against my knees and breathing heavily.

"What the fuck?"

I held up a finger without looking up, letting the person know I'd explain in a moment. When my heart rate slowed slightly, I stood up and saw Rosalie behind the desk and Edward and Emmett on the other side of her, all of them staring at me in complete confusion.

"Am I late?" I huffed, licking my lips and wiping my eyebrow.

"Not yet, but if you don't come and log in right now you will be," she answered, logging out and scooting back in the chair to make room for me as I rushed over to the computer. I pressed my thumb against the print reader—it was a much faster way to clock in, and it logged you in at the same time—and threw my head back in thanks as I saw that I'd logged in at 7:59.

"Holy fucking shit," I heaved. "I think I just burned off my dinner."

"Did you run over here?" she asked incredulously standing up and moving to the side of the desk, next to Emmett.

"I had to, or else I would have been late," I said, throwing my bag down on the floor. "Why are you here? I didn't think you were scheduled today."

"I wasn't, but whoever was scheduled called in. Being the reliable person that I am, I agreed to take the shift," she replied, rolling her eyes. I nodded in understanding and leaned against the desk. "What exactly were you _doing_ that made you lose track of time?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and resisted the urge to smack the little smirk off of her face. "I lost track of time at the _restaurant_."

"Where'd you go?" Edward inquired.

"Olive Garden," I replied, bending down to pick up my shirt and lanyard before standing up and pulling them on.

"Yum. I love their bread sticks," Rosalie sighed.

"Bella Italia's are better," Emmett and Edward said simultaneously before chuckling and hi-fiving each other.

"What the hell is so great about this place?" I demanded, sitting down in the chair and scooting closer to the computer. "Jake said the same thing."

"You've never been there?" Emmett asked incredulously.

"Obviously not," I smirked, crossing my legs and resting my hands against my stomach.

"Oh man, Bella. You're missing out," Edward gushed. "Seriously, it's the best Italian food _ever_. We'll have to go sometime over Spring Break."

"Yeah, okay," I nodded with a shrug. I saw Rosalie bite her lip and turn her face into Emmett's arm, and he bent down and buried his face in her hair. I stared at them oddly for a second before deciding I probably didn't want to know, and turned my attention back to Edward. "So, what are you guys up to?"

"Heading over to the Village Market for dinner."

"Nice," I said. "Well, have fun. I have some studying to do," I sighed, grabbing my bag and pulling it over to me.

"See you tomorrow, Bella," Rosalie said as they walked to the doors, waving.

"You better study!" I shouted. "I'll smack you if I catch you cheating off of my test."

Her hand appeared through the doors, middle finger extended in my direction, and I laughed before calling out my goodbye's and pulling out my study guide. It was going to be a long night.

*

Two hours later, I was already exhausted, and my brain hurt. I threw aside my books and sighed, running a hand over my face before pulling up Internet Explorer and logging into Myspace. I grabbed my phone and replied to Jake's text message, telling him good night, as he'd said he was getting ready to go to bed. I had a link for new comments and I clicked it, waiting for the page to load

I smiled and hit reply, typing quickly before sending it.

**_These mid-terms are trying to kill me. FML. What are you doing?_**

I opened a new tab and logged into Facebook, checking my friend updates and taking a quiz before refreshing my Myspace homepage. I clicked on the new comments link again and scanned over the newest addition.

I chuckled and shook my head before replying.

**_Yes, please._**

I refreshed my page after a minute or so, but saw nothing. I was impatient, dammit, and he offered to distract me, so he needed to do it quickly. I huffed and kept refreshing the page in vain.

"Knock, knock."

I looked up and saw Edward leaning against the side of the desk in a plain white t-shirt and black lounge pants.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked.

"You're supposed to say, 'who's there?' dammit. You've ruined it now."

"Humor. Har." My eyes roamed over his attire once more. Dammit, he even looked good in sleep clothes. "Nice slippers," I snorted.

"Don't hate. They're comfortable as hell," he laughed. "Bring me a chair, woman!"

"I'm not your bitch, get it yourself!"

"Hey, I came all the way down here to distract you. The least you could do is get me a chair," he insisted, raising an eyebrow.

"You offered, sir," I reminded him.

"Say that again. I kinda like it when you call me 'sir'," he grinned, scooting back to dodge my foot before it made contact with his knee. "Okay, okay, I'll get it myself."

He walked towards the mail room door cautiously, eying my foot the whole way, and I rolled my eyes as he grabbed the knob and turned it, but it didn't budge.

"It's locked," he said smugly, raising his eyebrows.

"Dammit," I grunted, opening the drawer with the keys in it and standing up to unlock the door. I pushed it open and gestured for him to walk inside. "Well? Go get a chair. There's one right over there," I smirked, pointing to the far end of the room.

"Cute," he said sarcastically, walking into the room and across the way.

I closed the door and shoved the key in the lock, twisting it and snickering as I heard it click, effectively locking him in. Moments later, the door opened to reveal Edward with his hands on the back of a chair, staring at me incredulously with his mouth hanging open.

"You do realize that the lock is on the _inside_ of the door, right?"

I stared blankly at him, stupified, before erupting into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"What the fuck," I squeaked, sinking down into my chair and bending over, holding my stomach. "I _forgot_! I actually fucking forgot."

He burst into laughter as well, leaning against the chair for support before looking up at me, his eyes squinted into slits from smiling so wide.

"If that's any indication of how your brain works during tests, I think you have a severe problem on your hands," he spat through chuckles.

We finally calmed down and he pushed his chair out of the doorway, setting it next to mine before plopping down on it with a sigh.

"I'm not normally that stupid," I smirked, shaking my head.

"Everybody's allowed a blond moment," he winked, grinning crookedly.

"You realize that Rosalie would kick you in the nuts if she heard you say that, right?"

"She's not here," he shrugged.

"She knows these things," I insisted. My phone went off right then and I snickered. "See? She heard it all. That's probably a warning for me to pass on to you."

He looked at me skeptically as I picked up my phone and checked the new text message.

**_G'night, Bells. Love you. Wake me up when you get in._**

"Was that really her?" he asked as he glanced over my shoulder, eliciting a laugh from me.

"Nah, you're safe...for now," I teased.

"Funny. Ah, it's from the _friend_."

I locked the keypad and put the phone on the desk before turning my head towards him and raising an eyebrow.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"It means I don't buy it," he shrugged, leaning back in the chair and folding his hands behind his head. "Especially after hearing through the Grapevine that you were naked with him this morning."

"Oh, my God, are you kidding me?" I groaned, smacking my palm against my forehead. "First of all, Rosalie's a sack of shit, and I'm going to punch her in the ovaries tomorrow. Secondly, we were not _naked_, we were playing strip Twister, and I had a shirt and underwear on still. He was just handing me back my pants after I _forfeited_ so that I could get redressed."

"You're not pleading your case very well, Bella," he chuckled.

"Oh, whatever! I don't buy _your_ 'just friends' story, either," I countered, making air quotes. "At least he's not my ex, you liar!"

"I'm not lying! We really are just friends now."

"Sure, sure. That's why she got all super protective of you if anybody so much as looked in your direction for too long," I scoffed.

"Eh. Yeah, I don't know what the hell was up with that," he admitted, scratching his chin. "She's normally not like that."

"Whatever you say," I dismissed, turning back to the computer and refreshing my homepage.

"You know, I think you really _are_ jealous."

"If I'm jealous, then so are you," I argued, raising an eyebrow as I turned my head towards him.

"Maybe I am," he said seriously. I stared at him, wide-eyed, chanting 'What the fuck' repeatedly in my mind until he laughed loudly and shook his head. "I'm kidding! God, Bella, have a heart attack, why don't you?" he teased.

"You can't do that to me," I chided, smacking his arm.

"Sorry. I've never been able to resist an opportunity to render you speechless, though," he grinned. "But seriously, though. Regardless of our friendships and their status, at least Tanya and I have an excuse, assuming we are the way you make us out to be. We dated for three years, there's bound to be _something_ there. What's your excuse?"

"I don't know," I muttered, picking at my shorts. "We've just always been like that."

"Yeah, you mentioned that a few times," he replied sarcastically.

"He just takes care of me," I shrugged. "I don't generally like being taken care of. My pride has always sort of gotten in the way of that, but even as kids he always felt a need to protect me, never mind the fact that he's younger," I chuckled, shaking my head.

"I think it came from him having two sisters," I continued. "His Mom died when he was real little, before I'd even met him, and his Dad didn't handle it too well. He sort of had to step up and be the man of the house when he hardly knew what that _meant_, so it was just something he was used to doing—being the protector. I understood that, so I just...let him, and consequently we just because very physically affectionate. In a completely non-sexual way," I added, throwing a pointed look in Edward's direction.

He raised his eyebrows and stared at the desk as he exhaled heavily through his nose. "That's some pretty heavy shit."

"Yeah," I agreed, "It is. But he's hardly ever complained. I think he's genuinely happy with his life."

"That's all anyone could hope for," he half-smiled.

"Well, now that I've thoroughly depressed you," I sighed, shaking my head.

"Nah, you're good," he grinned. "So tell me some interesting stories about this job."

"I don't really see much excitement manning the desk, unfortunately. Oh! But this one guy up on the ninth floor got busted with a box full of bongs," I laughed.

"Seriously? How big of a box?"

"Pretty big," I nodded. "Like, at _least_ fifteen, all different shapes and sizes."

"Oh, my God," he chortled, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. "What a dumb ass. Is he getting kicked out?"

"_No_!" I exclaimed. "In fact, LeeAnn fucking gave them _back_ to him. How stupid can you be?"

"Well that's bullshit. I'll bet if I got caught I'd get kicked out."

"Do you smoke pot?" I asked.

"Not anymore."

"Then how would you get caught?"

"_Hypothetically_ speaking, smartass," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"You could charm your way out of trouble," I smirked.

"Mmm...yeah, probably," he agreed, grinning crookedly.

"Arrogant," I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"You still love it. Have I thoroughly distracted you?"

"Yes, you have, thank you. You are relieved from your duty."

"Nuh uh," he disagreed. "Now, I help you study. Hand me your book."

I blinked at him a few times as he held his hand out, impatiently motioning towards the Critical Thinking book and study guide on the desk.

"You don't have to do this," I muttered, plopping them into his hand and turning to face him in my chair.

"I know, but I'm already here. Plus, I've found that having somebody test you on your knowledge of a subject helps tremendously, especially if you're about to kill yourself from studying so hard," he winked. "Okay, what chapters are you covering?"

He spent the next hour and a half downstairs with me, quizzing me on random questions from the book and worksheet before moving on to Sign Language. He'd looked so exhausted that I finally demanded he go upstairs and head straight to bed. I thanked him profusely for his help and wished him luck on his mid-terms as he walked slowly towards the elevators, waving goodbye.

I leaned my elbows on the desk, staring off and smiling as I thought about what a good person he'd turned out to be; not at all like the asshole I'd initially thought he was. I mean, sure, obviously he _could_ be a total dick, but I'd seriously misjudged him. I could be a raging bitch, too—he could account for that completely—but that didn't mean I was one all the time; that it was my most prominent personality trait. I almost wanted to smack myself for not coming to that realization sooner. Damn my stubbornness.

The rest of my shift went by slowly. I decided not to overload my brain by studying too much—three and a half hours was plenty enough, and I felt fairly confident in my knowledge of the subjects. I had an English mid-term on Tuesday, but it was an in-class essay, so I couldn't exactly study for it. I didn't have any finals on Wednesday, and my Biology test wasn't until Thursday, so I figured I'd spend Tuesday and Wednesday night studying for that instead of trying to cram it into my session that night.

I logged out at three AM after my replacement had come in and grabbed my things before heading home as quickly as I could manage. All the lights were out except for the living room lamp—always Angela's doing when I wasn't home before she went to bed, mostly so I wouldn't trip and kill myself coming in—and I dropped my bag next to the desk before turning off the light and trudging to my room. I changed into my bed clothes and threw my dirty ones in the hamper before crawling into bed and nestling under the covers on my stomach in the space next to the wall.

I nudged Jake and told him I was home, earning a mumbled 'kay' from him before he fell back to sleep. I scratched his scalp gently, kissed his forehead and whispered goodnight, closing my eyes and letting myself fall into a deep slumber.

~º~º~

Monday and Tuesday were much the same. I was able to get out of my classes early since I didn't need the full, allotted time to finish my tests. That would have been much appreciated if I hadn't have had to still sit at school for hours waiting for the next class to begin. Edward's quizzing Sunday night had helped tremendously, and I smirked at the irony of _him_ sort of turning into _my_ tutor for once.

I'd called Charlie in between classes on Monday to let him know he didn't have to go all the way to Seattle to pick us up from the airport. He'd seemed slightly hesitant at first, but when I told him Edward Cullen was driving us, he'd relaxed and agreed. We'd chatted for a bit before I had to get off the phone, and I promised to call him sometime during the week again, before we left.

Since the first half of my days were spent taking tests, Jake and I hadn't done much. I'd told him to research some things he thought he might have liked to do after I got out of school, and I'd left him with my schedule for the week, but he'd said he was perfectly content with just relaxing and spending quality time with me, so I didn't push it.

Angela and Jake were getting along great, which made me very happy to see. He was getting along great with _all _of my friends, but since Angela and I lived together, it would have been much more disheartening if they had have disliked each other.

Tuesday night, Jake, Angela and I had settled down in the living room to watch TV with a bowl of popcorn, chips and a bag of Oreos when the doorbell rang. I looked at Ang, raising an eyebrow to silently ask her if she'd been expecting a visitor, but she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. I glanced at the clock and frowned. It was eight PM; who the hell would be coming over this late unannounced? I sighed heavily and moved the bowl onto Jake's lap before heaving myself up from my comfortable position on the couch and trudging towards the door.

"I'm _coming_, jeez," I muttered as incessant knocking began. I unhooked the chain and turned the deadbolt before pulling open the door to reveal a slightly-out-of-breath Edward. I stared at him in confusion, blinking a few times before furrowing my eyebrows. "Um...hi?"

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**End Notes:** Lots and lots of reviews, please! Head over to the thread, if you want, and converse with us--link is on my homepage. We're pretty much amazing.

ACK, I'm so excited about chapter 15!!!


	16. Chapter 15: Cockblocks & Perfect spots

**Chapter Notes: **Duuuuuuuude. In the words of yanxxx, you guys are FUCKAWESOME! **104 reviews **on that bad motha' of a chapter, and I didn't think it was even that great. I ain't complainin', though. Bwaaa. Thank you all so much, you have no idea how happy it makes me to see that you all still love my story. This chapter was fucking exhausting to write. Seriously, I was busting my balls to write this shit all week so I hope it lives up to your expectations. It's 36 pages, bb's, and yes; I'm posting it all at once! Get a drink and some food, 'cos you'll be here for a longgg time.

Okay, I'm going to warn you upfront, you're not going to like a certain part in here. If your barf reflexes regarding Adrian are enheightened, well...suck it up, because it's all kind of a big deal in retrospect. Don't you dare review and tell me the chapter was bad because of her, and don't FAIL to review because of it--meaning, if you don't want to review just because you don't review, it's all good, but if the only reason you're NOT reviewing is because of a tiny little part in this long ass chapter, you're just gonna end up screwing yourself over when I don't feel like writing chapter 16 right away because of it. True story. :)

I need to thank all the rad people over on the forum, and you all should too, because they suggested the very end and said it would diffuse the grossness of 'Whorian', and I took it and ran with it. So thank you all for the ideas, and for supporting me t hroughout the entire writing process of this chapter. I love you guys! Thanks to my Momma, who didn't complain about the fact that I was practically glued to the computer chair while writing this chapter, and of course, thank you to my lovah, Hannah, for listening to me whine and complain **_all. week. long _**about anything and everything regarding this story haha. She really does help me pound the pages out.

Also, I put the links up on my homepage for my twitter account so you can follow me, and for the Bellie awards. Nominations end on Wednesday, so be sure to nominate your favorite stories before then!

Okay, enough rambling. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** What I own:An exhausted brain after this fucking chapter. Eeesh.  
What I don't own: Twilight, suckaaaaaaaaas.

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Chapter Song: Allow Me To Introduce Myself...Mr. Right - The White Tie Affair

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_

_-E-_

If Monday had gone by slowly, Tuesday was dragging by even _slower_. I had just completed my Physics mid-term, and I was pretty sure I'd aced it, thanks to the study session Ben and I had for hours in the library yesterday. Adrian had sent me a text around eleven that morning with her address, telling me to be at her apartment by six instead of six-thirty, like she'd originally said. Since it was barely half past noon, that left the next four hours open to wait impatiently until it was time to go 'study' for my Physics Lab test. How much studying I'd actually be _doing_ was entirely unknown, though.

I walked slowly through campus, messing with my backpack straps as I took in the surroundings. The entire campus was like a miniature forest, which always made me think of home. I'd be back there in less than a week, and I smiled at that notion.

As I passed the bookstore, I noticed a few people sitting around and drinking smoothies, which gave me a sudden hankering for a milkshake; Oreo, specifically. I groaned softly at the thought of having one, but I knew for a fact there weren't any sold on campus. Besides, nobody made them like Jack in the Box. I narrowed my eyes and bit my lip as I walked between Burk Hall and the Student Health Center, debating whether or not I wanted to make the trip to the nearest Jack in the Box location on Geary and quickly decided, yes, I would absolutely do it. Not only would I get a magnificent shake out of it, but it'd also take up at least an hour or so of my time. With my mind made up, I sped up my pace down the pathway, maneuvering around others who were walking in the opposite direction as I made my way towards to dorms.

I said a quick hello to Jasper and Emmett once I got upstairs then made a beeline to my room, throwing down my bag as I went to my computer. After turning it on and letting it load, I pulled up Safari and went to the Transit 511 website to use the trip planner. Though I knew there was no way it would take me four hours to get a damn milkshake, you could never really _assume_ anything in this city, so it was better to be safe than sorry. I typed in the information and what time I needed to arrive at Adrian's by, then hit the 'Plan Trip' button and waited for it to load. I grabbed a piece of printer paper and a pen and jotted down the BART trains I needed to take. I'd never actually been into Berkeley, so I was extremely thankful she lived a straight walk down from the station I needed to get off at.

I grabbed my wallet out of my backpack and shoved it into my back pocket before grabbing my keys off the desk and heading out of the room.

"Good luck on your tests," I said, peering around the wall and into the living room. "I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Emmett asked, putting the game of Mario Kart he and Jazz were playing on pause and looking over at me.

"Jack in the Box. I've got a crazy craving for an Oreo shake, and nobody makes one like they do," I replied with a sigh.

"You're preggo," Jasper nodded. "Your moment with Bella must have created a love spawn."

"Funny," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Ugh," Emmett groaned, leaning back on the couch. "I'd be so down for one if I didn't have this stupid fucking class at one-thirty."

"It was your bright idea to take CPR. It's not like you need it," I reminded him. "Anyway, I'm out. Peace."

They muttered their goodbye's before I heard the game resume, and I walked out the door and to the elevators, taking one down to the lobby. I cursed as I rounded the corner and saw that whore Jessica sitting at the front desk, orange as ever. I'd managed to dodge her for a solid three weeks—I should have known it wouldn't last longer than that. With a heavy sigh, I walked towards the desk, giving her the best floppy-wristed wave I could muster up, and half-giggled as I awkwardly skipped towards and out the automatic doors. Unfortunately, this time there were people—quite a few people, standing in plain sight—there to witness it.

I basically wanted to die.

With my head hung in shame, I quickly headed towards the shuttle stop, where a small group of people had gathered in front of the bench.

"How's it goin'?" I asked, nodding at a few of the girls that were standing around and staring at me.

"Good," they mumbled. I smiled politely and looked down the road to see if I could spot the shuttle to no avail. Damn it all to hell if I wasn't impatient.

"Hey, you're in my Physics class, right?"

I turned my head back towards the girls and raised my eyebrows, looking around to see if there was anybody else she was talking to so I didn't answer her and look like a moron. I'd already done that enough in the past ten minutes to last me the rest of the year.

"Are you talking to me?" I questioned.

"Yeah," she laughed lightly, tilting her head to the side. "Science two room, noon to one—aren't you the one that made fun of the teachers name?"

"Oh, ah—yeah, yeah that was me," I breathed out a laugh, running a hand through my hair and fisting it as I half-smiled. Jesus, people still remembered that?

"I thought so," she chuckled, folding an arm across her stomach and twirling the ends of her sandy blonde hair around the fingers of her free hand. "That mid-term was a killer, huh?"

"A bit, yeah," I nodded. "My friend's a great study partner, though, so I had an advantage. How do you think you did?"

"I have no idea," she sighed. "I think I at least passed, though. I _hope_. What about you?"

"I think I did alright," I admitted confidently.

"What's your major?" she asked.

"Microbiology," I responded.

"Yeesh, lots of Science."

"Yeah, but I've gotten most of it done already," I shrugged. "It's not so bad."

"I'm Emma, by the way," she said, stepping forward and extending her hand.

"Edward," I replied, grasping her hand lightly and shaking it briefly before letting go with a smile. The shuttle pulled up right then and stopped, opening the doors to let a few people scurry off before we lined up to load on. I grabbed an open seat towards the back and gazed out the window as we started the squeaky, bumpy ride forward. There was only one stop at the back of Stonestown before it dropped off at the front of the school, so it was a fairly short ride. When the driver pulled alongside the curb, I stood up and started towards the front.

"Bye, Edward," I heard as I started down the steps. I turned my head to the right, scanned the faces of people still seated on the shuttle and saw Emma waving at me with a smile.

"See ya in class," I smiled before jumping off the shuttle and making my way down the sidewalk, towards the cross walk. Our class was fairly large in size, so unless she made it a point to seek me out, more than likely I _wouldn't_ be seeing her again. When the signs beeped, signaling I could walk across the street, I hurried towards and up the ramp that led to the M-line MUNI platform. The only thing I disliked about outdoor platforms was that you never knew when the hell the next train was going to come. I sighed and leaned against one of the walls with a poster on it, advertising Geico.

So easy a caveman can do it, we get it.

About fifteen minutes later it pulled up and I boarded, shuffling in with the large group of people that were waiting for the train as well. I had to stand for the ride and I cursed my timing internally. This was probably the one of the worst times I could have picked to have a craving for something that required traveling, but fuck it. I had nothing better to do. I held onto the metal bar above my head as the doors closed and we jerked into motion.

It was only a half an hour ride, and I got off on the Powell exit, making my way up to the street and out of the station to Market Street before walking down to Mason and up to Geary. I spotted the big, red box with white print and became mildly excited at the prospect of soon having the scrumptious milkshake, and with that train of thought I subconsciously willed myself to walk towards the establishment faster.

It was packed inside, as usual, and I stood at the end of the line, looking around and puffing out my cheeks as I exhaled. It was really fucking stuffy in there, and they really should have turned on the AC way before that point. I supposed they were just being cheap, though, and wanted their customers to feel like they were suffocating.

Whatever. I was still getting my shake.

After twenty minutes had passed, the line had gotten exponentially longer while the people ahead of me had only moved up infinitesimally. To say that I was becoming severely annoyed was an understatement. God, were these people ordering the entire fucking place? What the _hell_ was taking so long?

Another cashier came back from their break, or lunch, or wherever the hell they were—I didn't care, I just wanted my fucking milkshake—soon after, and the line started moving forward at a steady pace. Finally, it was my turn up at the register, and I ordered a large quickly before thrusting a five dollar bill at the lady. She handed me my change and receipt, and I moved over to the side, near the soda fountain to stand with the others who were still waiting for their orders.

Fucking ten million years later, my number was called, and I pushed my way up to the front impatiently to retrieve my drink. Ah, there it was, sitting on the counter with the precipitation cascading down the sides of the clear plastic cup; the cherry sitting perfectly on top of the mound of whipped cream, just calling to me.

It truly was a work of art. I almost cried a little.

I thanked the worker hurriedly before snatching it off the counter and making a beeline to the side exit. I squished the cup to loosen up some of the ice cream since I could see that it was still probably way too thick to drink yet. It didn't take long for me to lose my resolve and shove the straw forcefully into my mouth, though, just to see what I could get.

I stood at the crosswalk on Geary and Mason, sucking through the straw so hard that my cheeks were sinking in, but I didn't care. I had my amazing milkshake and, unless somebody ran into me within the next ten seconds and knocked it lid-down and out of my hands, I was content. I got a little taste on the tip of my tongue and let go of the straw before sticking it in my mouth again and sucking, getting a decent sip in my mouth. I pulled the cup away and spread the goodness along my taste buds, smiling as I swallowed before repeating the routine.

I heard a giggle and I looked around, still sucking into the straw extremely hard, to find a woman with hair in a neat, ginger-colored bun, dressed in a fitted, navy skirt suit staring at me in amusement. I pulled the straw out of my mouth and looked around, finding nobody else in our immediate vicinity before turning to look at her again.

"Are you laughing at me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, swallowing the bit of shake I had in my mouth.

"Sorry," she grinned, biting her bottom lip. "You just looked really intense, trying desperately to get something out."

"I can't help it," I chuckled. "They're so damn good."

"They are, aren't they? It's just so infuriating when you _really_ want one, and then they're real thick like that," she sighed, nodding towards my cup.

"Yeah, but sometimes it helps when you do this..." I trailed off, pulling the straw out and up to my lips and licking the heap of the ice cream off the sides before sucking out what was lodged inside of the straw. I looked back at her with a grin as I stuck the straw back in, this time near a spot that looked a bit more melted than the rest before bringing it to my lips and sucking. It came up extremely smooth.

"That's impressive," she smirked.

"One of my many talents," I joked, nodding towards the crosswalk as the signs beeped. She started walking and I followed after, sipping happily as we reached the opposite side of the sidewalk and kept going forward.

"What's your name?" she asked with a curious look on her face.

"Edward," I replied.

"Kind of an old-fashioned name for somebody your age," she mused. "You can't be more than twenty-two."

"Twenty, actually," I corrected. "And my parents are all for the 'timeless' names," I replied, rolling my eyes and using my free hand to make air quotes. She chuckled and pursed her lips as she half-grinned at me.

"You're very good-looking," she stated as we neared the crosswalk at the end of the block we were on. I stopped and looked at her, blinking a few times before furrowing my eyebrows.

"Are you hitting on me?" She wasn't ugly by any means, and she wasn't _old_ looking, but she was hardly the type of woman I'd go for if I _were_ trying to bag an older woman.

She erupted into a fit of giggles, throwing her head back while waving her hand in the air.

"No, dear. I'm not hitting on you, although if I were closer to your age I probably would," she winked, and I grinned sheepishly in embarrassment. "I'm curious...have you ever considered modeling?"

"Are you kidding me right now?" I groaned, smacking my palm against my forehead.

"Not at all," she smirked. "I'm an agent for actors and models. I'm just here for a brief conference. I really think that, with a face like yours, you could make it big in the industry."

All I wanted was a fucking milkshake. That was it—_just_ a simple, Oreo milkshake from Jack in the Box, yet somehow I'd managed to stumble upon some lady who suddenly decided my face was worthy of being plastered on a thirty-foot poster, probably with me half-naked and a bottle of Skyy covering my junk. What the fuck was with my _life_? Jesus, maybe Alice was right. Maybe I _should_ try and make myself less attractive. If I looked like the guy fifty feet ahead of us, I wouldn't have been in this predicament.

Maybe an Amish-like beard was in order, and soon.

"At least take my card," she said, reaching inside her jacket and retrieving a black, rectangular card with fancy script and handing it over. I sighed heavily and reluctantly took it from her, dropping my hand to my side and sipping on my further-melted shake. She winked and made to walk off before pausing and reaching up to pat my cheek.

"Gorgeous face. Damn near perfect," she murmured, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Good bye, Edward. I hope to hear from you soon."

With that, she walked off, leaving me to stare after her retreating form completely flabbergasted. After a few moments, I shook my head to snap myself back into present time and lifted the card to examine it.

"Brenda Conneley, Innovative Artists Talent and Literary Agency," I muttered. "Yeah, not gonna happen."

The crosswalk beeped once again and I finally walked across to the next block as I shoved the card into my pocket and reached for my phone. If it wasn't necessary for proof that I wasn't bullshitting the story when I told it—and I would most _definitely _have to tell it—I'd have chucked it right away.

I unlocked the keypad and dialed the number quickly before pressing send and bringing it up to my ear. I took a very long sip of my milkshake as it rang multiple times before going into voice mail. At the beep, I smirked and chuckled lightly.

"Hey, Mom," I started. "What's your stance on me dropping out of college to pursue a career in modeling?"

* * *

_-A-_

"Pick up the phone, you idiot!" I hissed, pacing around the living room with my cell phone planted firmly against my ear. I screeched when I got his voice mail, _again_, and hit the end button before throwing my phone down on the couch.

Though I was able to control when I had my visions, for the most part, sometimes words, when spoken, pertaining to something that was happening, or _would_ happen, triggered one. So when Tanya and I were sitting around, laughing and talking like we used to, and the words 'Edward' and 'bed' were said, I was instantly overcome by a soundless scenario playing in mind of Edward, on a bed, with a certain lab rat underneath him; the clock blaring 6:53 PM. I fully ignored the fact that my poor brain had been tainted with his sexcapades_ once again_ as I came out of my daze and grabbed my phone, immediately punching in his phone number. Tanya was on alert right away, asking me what I'd seen. I'd simply scowled and replied with, "Too much."

I glared at my phone as it sat unmoving on the couch before sighing. It wasn't my phone's fault Edward was a dumb fucking..._fuck_. What part of 'she's not your soul mate' didn't he understand? I mean, I got that he wanted her, but shit. He honestly couldn't keep it in his pants for a little bit longer? I huffed and snatched up my phone, checking the time. I still had fifteen minutes to figure something out before all hell broke loose. As I tossed my cell between my hands, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, an idea popped into my head and I beamed momentarily before dialing Rosalie's number.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Are you with my brother right now?" I asked without preamble.

"Yeah, why? What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you in a minute, but for now, don't ask questions. Just do what I say. Tell Emmett to call Edward, and _keep_ calling him until we're off the phone. He won't answer, so tell him not to worry about what to say in the event he does."

Rosalie, sensing the urgency in my voice, repeated to Emmett what I'd said, word-for-word before telling me he was on it, and to explain what was going on. I told her about the vision I'd just seen, and she sighed in annoyance.

"What a stupid whore," she sneered. "Apparently she didn't learn her lesson the first time."

"Yeah, but we can't exactly report her this time for having sex in her apartment," I grunted, putting my hand across my forehead. "That's why I'm hoping, if he gets enough phone calls, he'll get so annoyed he'll answer."

"Oh, he won't want to see what I'll do to him if he doesn't answer _my_ call," she said with attitude. "He'll answer. You can bet on that, and I have the perfect idea for when he does..."

* * *

_-E-_

At precisely six o'clock, I was standing in front of a new looking, multi-colored complex, double checking my phone to make sure I'd gotten the address right before walking through the automatic doors and to the elevator. I walked in and hit the button for the third floor, drumming my hands against my thighs as the doors closed and the shaft lifted. Once it stopped, I climbed out and walked down the hall, looking for 3F. After locating it, I paused in front of the door, inhaled deeply and pressed the small button under the peephole that served as a door bell. I heard it ring on the inside and looked down the hallway on either side of me as I waited for her to answer the door. Just as I was about to ring it again, I heard the click of a lock and the door opened, revealing Adrian in a white tank top and black cut-offs, her hair thrown up in a messy bun.

I couldn't think of a time when she'd ever looked so sexy.

I grinned crookedly and raised my eyebrows. "'Sup?"

"Not much," she replied, smirking and stepping to the side, opening the door more. "Come on in."

I walked through the frame and immediately started looking around as she closed the door behind me. Directly to my left was the kitchen. All the cabinets and drawers were dark wood, and the stove, microwave, and fridge were silver and black. The sink was stainless steel, situated in the center of a marble counter top.

It was bright inside; there were about five long windows directly across from me in the living room, and all the curtains were tied back as the sun was streaming in and onto the light-colored carpet. There was also a glass door that led out to what looked like a small balcony. She had a crème colored couch pressed against the left wall, and a black, 30-inch TV was sitting in a small, wooden entertainment center against the wall to the right.

"Do you live alone?" I asked, turning to look at her as she leaned against the wall and folded her arms over her chest.

"Yup," she replied. "I prefer being alone to having roommates."

"This is a nice place," I nodded. "I'll bet you pay a pretty penny for it, too."

"It's actually probably not as much as you think it is," she laughed lightly, pushing off the wall and walking towards the hall. "It's expensive enough, though. Come on, I'll show you what's left."

I followed her down the narrow hallway as she gestured to the bathroom, but I was more curious about the room next to it.

"And this is where I sleep," she announced, walking into her room. I smiled and glanced around, taking everything in. It was almost completely white; the walls, the long, sheer, lace curtains that hung over the windows, and her bed comforter. She had a wood dresser across from her bed in one corner with picture frames perched on top, and a burgundy upholstered wooden chair and footrest catty cornered in the other corner alongside a small, square, wooden table.

"Nice. It fits you," I said with an approving nod.

"Good to know," she smirked. "So do you want anything to drink before we do this?"

"Do what, exactly?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

"_Study_," she stressed, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I'll take some water," I chuckled, and she motioned towards the door with her head after telling me to put my bag down anywhere. I dropped it near the chair and followed her back into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she grabbed a glass from a cabinet.

"Crushed or cubed?"

"Crushed. Always crushed," I responded.

"I prefer cubed, actually," she admitted, filling the cup with crushed ice then moving over to the water filter.

"No," I groaned, dropping my head onto my forearms. "You're killin' me, here."

"I'm sorry," she laughed, setting the glass down in front of me.

"Thanks," I muttered, picking it up and taking a drink.

"Come on, let's get to work. You can put the glass on the table in there."

I followed behind her down the hall, taking another drink of water when I spotted something on her upper back.

"Hey! I didn't know you had a tattoo," I said as we stepped into her room.

"Yeah, got it when I turned eighteen. Can't you tell?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes before turning around to rummage through her book bag.

"It's not a bad tattoo. It's just stars." I walked closer to her as she straightened up, though her back was still turned to me. Lifting my free hand up, I trailed my fingertips gently down the line of three black stars on her upper back, and she shivered slightly, breaking out into goose bumps. "Sorry," I murmured, though I really wasn't. It was fucking fantastic to know I had that effect on her.

"It's okay," she mumbled, clearing her throat and turning around. "Let's get started. You need all the help you can get," she teased. I rolled my eyes and smirked, backing up as she moved past me and plopped down on her bed. I followed, but she immediately halted my movements.

"Nuh uh, _you_ sit over there," she ordered, pointing to the chair.

"But—"

"Nope! My help, my _place_, my rules. Go!"

I grunted and retreated to the stupid chair, setting down my water on the table before picking up my backpack and retrieving my lab book.

"We'll start with chapter one," she said in amusement.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered petulantly. She started quizzing me on some of the labs and their results, and even though I was distracted, I got most of them right. As soon as she was about to start on chapter two, I cut her off.

"Why are you so far away?" I complained, moving to get up, but she held her hand in the air to stop me, yet again.

"You just stay over there, mister," she smirked, "and behave."

"Why?"

"Because...you know why."

I rolled my eyes but complied...for now. I'd break her at some point.

Half an hour later, I still wasn't having any luck.

"I don't see how this is helping me if I have to practically _shout_ my answers across the room," I huffed.

"You're fine," she dismissed, scanning through her lab book.

"But I can't concentrate," I pressed. She looked up at me with a blank expression and tilted her head to the side momentarily before rolling her eyes and standing up from the bed.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she grabbed the foot rest, scooted it back and plopped down on it, crossing her legs.

"I'm moving closer so that you'll stop whining," she smirked.

Dammit.

She resumed the quizzing and I groaned, rubbing my lower back, effectively cutting her off again.

"This chair is uncomfortable."

"Are you ever satisfied?" she asked in exasperation.

"Yes, when I get my way," I grinned cheekily before standing up, closing the book and throwing it on the chair.

"What are you doing?" she asked, eying me cautiously.

"Getting my way," I shrugged before swiftly walking over to her, bending down, grasping her around the waist and hoisting her over my shoulder. She shrieked and smacked me on the back with the book, and I laughed as I walked over to her bed, hearing the thud when the book landed on the floor. I dropped her onto her back on the bed, and plopped down next to her on my side, grinning at her.

"You're ridiculous," she sighed, looking up at me.

"I won't deny that," I replied, half-smiling as I stared down at her. Within seconds, the amusement was wiped off both of our faces, her chest rising and falling quicker as my head involuntarily began to lower.

"This is so wrong. You know that, right?" she muttered, staring at my lips as I inched closer to hers. I sighed heavily and jumped off the bed, grabbing my hair with both hands and groaning in frustration as I walked towards the wall.

"I don't _care_," I growled, whirling around to face her and dropping my hands to my side as she sat up. "Dude, I just—fuck it. I'm just gonna go balls-out on this and say it." I walked back and stood in front of Adrian, staring down at her in determination.

"I _want_ you. I've wanted you for a while, and I'm pretty sure you want me, too, otherwise we wouldn't even _be_ in this situation," I continued. She looked down and shook her head slightly.

"I _do_, that's the problem," she said quietly.

"Why is that a _problem_, Adrian?" I asked, exasperated. "I really don't see the problem in it when we _both _want each other."

"Because I'm your TA, Edward!" she replied sternly. "If anybody were to find out—"

"Who's going to find out here, in your apartment, twenty miles away from campus unless you or I tell somebody?" I demanded. "This shouldn't even _be_ about anybody else. This is between me and you. Fuck everybody else."

She sighed and looked out her bedroom window, her knee bobbing up and down quickly. I stepped closer to her and grabbed her chin in my hand, turning her head back towards me. She looked up, an intense look in her eyes, and I stared back at her unwavering.

"Let me have you," I said softly, "even if it's just this once."

Before I could blink an eye she'd jumped up and was pressed against me, fusing her lips to mine in uninhibited lust, and I sighed through my nose in relief, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist as we stumbled backwards until my back hit the wall. I moaned lightly as I felt the tip of her tongue along my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth and snaked my tongue into hers, deepening the kiss. I felt her fingers against my stomach and I gasped, breaking the kiss as I reveled in how _good_ it felt to be with somebody like this—with somebody I _wanted_.

She lifted my shirt as her hands slid up my stomach and chest, and I rested my head against the wall as I closed my eyes, breathing heavily. She tugged it up roughly and I lifted my arms as she pulled it over my head and threw it on the ground. I wasted no time in grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it up and off of her, pulling her flush against me immediately after and kissing her frantically. She grasped my belt buckle and pulled me back with her towards the bed, never breaking the contact of our lips, and as soon as the back of her knees hit the edge of it, my phone went off. I grabbed it out of my pocket and dropped it on the ground before pushing her down on the mattress and climbing on top of her, my elbows on either side of her as my hands snaked around her back. I vaguely registered the silence from my call being missed before it started up again, but as soon as her hands slid up my back and grasped my shoulders roughly, I ceased to care about the second interruption.

"_Started talkin' shit, wouldn't you know? I reached back like a pimp and I slapped the ho..._"

I broke away and growled at the offending music coming from my phone. Fucking Emmett and his horrible fucking timing!

"Do you need to get that?" she asked breathlessly.

"No, fuck it," I responded before moving down slightly and kissing down her neck. She gasped and arched into me, and I smirked as I sucked on the skin gently. Emmett continued calling and I continued to ignore it as Adrian flipped us over and began her assault on my neck and chest.

"_I don't want to talk to you, I just want bang bang bang. I don't want to know you're name, I just want bang bang bang..._"

I groaned loudly in frustration and sat up as my default ringtone sounded through the room, wrapping my arms around her waist to keep her from sliding off my lap as I felt around on the floor for my phone. Apparently whoever the fuck kept calling me wasn't going to let up until I answered, and if I was going to fuck this girl senseless in _peace_, somebody needed to be set the fuck straight.

"_What_?!" I bellowed into the phone.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't just use that tone with me," a female voice said calmly, "because there are bigger issues at hand."

"Who the hell is this?" I demanded, running a hand through my hair roughly.

"This is Rosalie, you jackass," she snapped.

"Okay, Rose. Don't take offense to this, but somebody better fucking be dying for as many times as I've been called in the last ten minutes," I laughed humorlessly. "I'm being completely serious, because if not, your boyfriend is getting his ass beat tonight."

"Well, don't take offense to _this_, but maybe if you had have used common sense like a normal fucking person and answered the phone the first, or even _second_ time, there wouldn't be an issue."

"I'm hanging up now," I said simply.

"If you want to keep your balls intact, you sure as fuck _won't_," she seethed menacingly.

"Then what the _hell_ do you guys want?" I snapped, leaning my forehead against Adrian's chest.

_Hello, boobies._

I turned my head slightly and kissed along the top of her breasts, snaking my tongue out and licking a trail along the top of her bra cup as Rosalie started to explain

"Look, I'm in Half Moon Bay for the night with Emmett, and Jazz took Alice to dinner, so he has my—are you listening to me?" she demanded.

"Mmhm," I hummed, nipping at the skin gently before sucking on it as Adrian moaned lightly and clutched at my neck.

"Jasper has my car," she continued, "and Jacob just called me from Bella's phone, telling me Bella tripped and knocked her head against her computer desk."

I immediately stopped my ministrations and snapped my head back, fully alert.

"What? Is she okay?"

"I don't know, that's the problem. We're all too far away to go check on her, and if she has a concussion, it's probably not the best idea for her to be on a bus trying to get to the hospital just yet," Rosalie said.

"Definitely not," I murmured. "Well, I mean...I don't know what I can do about that..." I trailed off.

"Look, by the time I could get Jazz over here, and with traffic at this time of day, it'd be over an hour before I could get to her. I don't know where you are, but I'm sure you're closer to her than we are," she sighed. "Can you go and check on her? Make sure she's okay?"

"I—" I sighed and closed my eyes, running a hand down my face. "I'll be there in about an hour."

"Thank you so much," she sighed in relief.

"Uh huh," I said distractedly. "Bye."

"Ugh, gross," I heard Rosalie say, her voice becoming more faint as she pulled the phone away from her mouth. "I think he was—"

The phone beeped in my ear and I groaned before sighing heavily and looking up at Adrian with apologetic eyes.

"I...have to go," I said in defeat. "My friend is a total klutz and is always hurting herself, and she hit her head on a desk and apparently nobody else is able to go make sure she's okay."

She sighed and looked down at me with a small smile before scooting back on her knees. I groaned and tightened my grip on her waist, pulling her to me again and burying my face in her chest. She laughed and patted my cheek gently before I finally let go of her. I begrudgingly climbed off the bed after she left my lap and shoved my phone into my pocket as I snatched my shirt off the floor, hurriedly pulling it on before shoving my things into my backpack and zipping it up. I slung it over my shoulder and, with a sigh, walked over to her as she stood up, still shirtless.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, and she waved her hand in the air.

"It's fine. Bro's before ho's," she joked with a half-smile. I chuckled and leaned down, kissing her bare shoulder softly before straightening up slightly and pressing my lips to hers firmly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered against her lips. She nodded and I backed away, running my eyes down her body and smirking. "I'll lock the bottom lock on my way out."

With that, I turned around and hurried out of the room, down the hall and to the door. After pulling it open, I turned the lock and walked out, closing it behind me before jogging down the hallway to the elevators. I rode it down to the lobby and made my way out of the complex, walking quickly along the sidewalk towards the BART station. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my contact list for Bella's number before pressing send and putting the phone to my ear. It rang the standard number of times before going into her voice mail and I frowned, hitting the end button before pressing send twice and calling again. The same thing happened, though, and before I let myself start to worry, I rationed that maybe she just didn't have her phone near her. As I walked into the BART station and up to the platform, I decided that once I got off at MacArthur to transfer trains, I'd call her again.

MacArthur came and went, as did my phone call to Bella that had the same outcome as the last two I'd made. At that point, I started to worry. I didn't have her home number, so I couldn't try calling that. I couldn't really call _period_ through the majority of the ride, actually, because we were in tunnels and there was no service. Once we got within a stop or two before Daly City, though, I had a bit of service, and I immediately called again.

Still no answer.

I was one of the first off the train when it stopped at my destination, and I got out of the station and to the waiting shuttle as fast as I could manage. The shuttle waited a few minutes before closing the doors and starting towards the school. During the evenings, it didn't make the full rounds. It only dropped off in front of the campus, so I'd either have to haul ass the quarter of a mile to Bella's apartment or wait for the 17 bus to come. Luck was on my side, though, and the bus pulled up within a minute or two of me stepping off the shuttle. I paid the fare and plopped down in a seat, my knee bouncing up and down nervously as I tried calling Bella again. I cursed as it went straight to her voice mail this time, and made a mental note to tell her to keep her fucking phone charged from now on.

I had half a mind to tell the driver to hurry the _fuck_ up, seeing as my friend could potentially be in a coma from a damn concussion, but I bit my tongue. He didn't look like a pleasant man, and he'd probably end up kicking me off the bus. Finally, he stopped in front of the complex, and I hurriedly thanked him—I didn't know why I did that, but at some point it just became a habit—before jumping off the steps and running down the long sidewalk, towards the glass door.

I cursed, suddenly remembering that it had a fucking code, and I pulled my phone out to call Rosalie when a text message came through. I opened it and saw four digits, and I chanted them aloud so I wouldn't forget as I shoved my phone back in my pocket and climbed up the steps. I punched in the numbers and the lock clicked before I threw the door open and ran through the lobby, up the few steps and down the carpeted hall to her door. I pressed the button on the door and fidgeted as I waited for somebody to answer, my breathing erratic.

"Fuck," I hissed when the door didn't open up fast enough for my liking. I knocked impatiently, and sighed in relief as I heard the locks being undone. The door opened to reveal...Bella? What the hell?

Shock was etched across her face before turning into confusion, and she blinked a few times, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Um...hi?" she said, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head in curiosity.

"You look fine," I blurted, leaning my hands on both sides of the door frame and scanning her up and down for any signs of injury.

"Thanks?" she responded slowly, looking around. "Uh...what are you doing here, exactly?"

I stared at her in confusion, blinking a few times. Had the bump on her head given her amnesia?

"Do you remember my name?" I asked slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Wha—of course I remember, what kind of question is that?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Then why are you—you look _fine_," I stressed.

"Yeah, you mentioned that," she said sarcastically.

"But...you hit your head."

"What? What the _hell_ are you talking about?" she shouted, staring at me incredulously.

"Rosalie called me and said that she couldn't get to you so I needed to because you hit your head!" I explained. "She said Jacob called her and told her..." I trailed off. "I called you a bunch of times and you didn't answer."

"I don't have my phone on me, and it's probably on vibrate, because I didn't hear it ring."

I stared at her blankly as everything started to sink in.

"You're not hurt," I said blandly.

"Not that I know of," she replied, laughing lightly. "I honestly have no idea what is going on."

I continued to stare at her with a blank expression as I tried to figure out what the fuck would possess Rosalie to call me and tell me what she did if it weren't true. Was this some kind of cosmic _joke_? 'Oh, ha ha, cock-blocking Edward is so hilarious. Let's use poor, unsuspecting Bella as a pawn.' Surely she couldn't have known. I hadn't told _anybody_ where I was. Unless...

"Uh...Edward? You alright, there?"

I blinked a few times as my eyes refocused on Bella's face.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking," I muttered, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Well, I wish I could offer you an explanation, but I have no clue what she was talking about. You're welcome to come in, though, so it won't be a wasted trip."

She moved aside and motioned towards the living room with the hand that wasn't holding the door open, and I heaved a huge sigh before stepping inside. She closed the door and locked it again before ushering me into the living room and telling me to make myself comfortable. Jacob greeted me with a simple "'Sup?" and I shook my head before asking him the same thing, earning the same response.

"Hey, Edward," Angela grinned, greeting me.

"Hey, Ang," I said, half-smiling at her as I dropped my bag to the side of the arm chair and sat down. "Long time no see."

"Ditto. I have a feeling you'll be seeing quite a bit of me after the break, though," she smirked, turning her attention back to the the hell was that supposed to mean? I looked at Bella in confusion, but she just shrugged and rolled her eyes before plopping down on the couch between Angela and Jake, grabbing a bowl of popcorn from his lap and focusing on the TV as well.

"You better like House," she said, shoving a handful into her mouth.

"Is there anybody that _doesn't_?" I retorted as the commercial ended and the show came on.

"Very true. Man, Hugh Laurie is so hot," she gushed, sighing wistfully. Angela agreed as Jake and I groaned. I was _so sick_ of hearing that; first from Alice, now from _these_ two? Would it never end?

We watched the hour-long episode in relative silence, minus the random professing of undying lust from either or both women, and immediately after it ended Angela stood up and stretched before announcing she was going to bed.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna turn in, too," Jacob said with a yawn.

"It's only nine o'clock!" Bella exclaimed, looking between the two.

"I got up early this morning," Angela explained.

"And I'm used to being in bed by this time," Jacob pointed out.

"Relax, you big baby," Angela chuckled. "I'm sure Edward won't mind..._entertaining_ you."

I raised a questioning eyebrow at her but she ignored me, staring at Bella in amusement.

"Unless _he's_ tired, too," Bella huffed.

"No, I'm not tired," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Then it's all pumpkin pie," Jake grinned, leaning over to place a loud kiss on Bella's cheek. "Night, Bells. Edward."

He nodded in my direction before standing up and following behind Angela as she bid us a goodnight.

"Love you," Bella called out to both of them as they walked into their respective rooms.

"Love you, too," they shouted before closing the doors. We sat in silence, and I pursed my lips and twisted my mouth to the side, drumming my hands on the arms of the chair as I looked around.

"And then there were two," she muttered. I laughed lightly and turned to look at her, lifting my foot and resting my ankle on my knee.

"So how'd those mid-terms go? I haven't talked to you since Sunday night," I said, scratching my arm.

"I think they went okay," she nodded, shoving some popcorn into her mouth before offering me the bowl. I dug in and grabbed a handful before shoveling into my mouth, and she stared blankly at me.

"What?" I asked with my mouth full.

"You stole half the bowl, you cow."

"I did not," I argued, chomping on the buttery goodness. "And I'm not a cow," I added, lifting up my shirt and pointing to my stomach for emphasis.

She stared at it for a few moments before shaking her head lightly and rolling her eyes. "Was that really necessary, you narcissist?"

"Have I ever mentioned how much I appreciate your high opinions of me," I scoffed, swallowing the chewed up bits of popcorn.

"Most people do," she shrugged. "Anyway, how do you think you'll do on your Stats mid-term tomorrow?"

"I have no idea," I sighed, running my hands down my face. "I have to do awesome if I don't want to face your wrath, though."

She laughed and nodded with a grin. "Pretty much."

"The pressure!" I groaned playfully.

"Do you have your book in there?" she asked, raising her chin towards my bag.

"No, it's at home," I replied.

"I left the Stats book in the main office, too," she said, clucking her tongue. "We could go get your book and do a little reviewing if you want."

"Actually, I don't think anybody is at the room right now. We could just stay there and I'll walk you home after we're done."

She rolled her eyes at me but agreed, telling me she needed to get her shoes before she got up and walked down the hall. I stood up and grabbed my bag, shrugging the straps on, and she emerged from her room after a minute or two saying she was ready. She grabbed her keys off the hook by the door before we walked out, checked to make sure it had locked then started towards the lobby.

"So why do you have your backpack with you this late?" she asked, as we approached the glass door and she pushed it open.

"Study session," I replied vaguely. It wasn't a _complete_ lie. I _had_ studied...some.

"I hate mid-terms," she sighed as we made our way quickly down the stairs and turned to walk down the sidewalk.

"Tell me about it," I grumbled.

We made small talk all the way back to the dorm, and I slid my ID card through the slot to open up the doors. As we walked in, I snickered at the guy sitting behind the desk, remembering this afternoon.

"What's so funny?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow.

"This afternoon was just fucked from jump street," I chuckled, shaking my head. "First of all, I practically humiliated myself in front of half the dorm because Jessica was at the desk and I had to act 'gay'" I said, making air quotes as we walked to the elevator. "And then, I went to go get an Oreo shake from Jack in the Box, and some lady gave me her card and told me I could make it big as a model."

"Seriously?" she laughed, throwing her head back. "That's classic. Are you gonna do it?"

"No way!" I exclaimed, walking into the elevator and pressing the button for the thirteenth floor after she'd walked in.

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding me?" I asked incredulously. "I don't want to be a model. This face may be perfect _now_, but twenty, thirty years from now it may not be," I joked.

"If _that's_ perfect," she started, motioning towards my face, "I'd hate to see _im_perfection."

"Real nice, Bella. Well, whatever. It was a welcoming stroke to my ego since _somebody_ seems dead set on diminishing it to nothing," I stressed, smirking at her.

"Please. You have the entire city's female population falling all over you."

"Oh _really_?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Minus me, of course," she added, rolling her eyes as we stopped in front of my door.

"Uh huh," I responded dismissively, shoving the key into the lock and turning it. I pushed open the door and let Bella in first before I followed, and as I neared the living room I heard hissing noises. Frowning in confusion, I walked down the hall slowly, hoping to God there wasn't some snake loose in my dorm, because—I'd deny the fuck out of this if anybody asked—I was _terrified_ of snakes.

It wasn't a snake, though. Instead, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice were scrambling about, faced in the direction of the hall, and their eyes went wide when they spotted me.

"What the fuck?" I said in confusion as they all froze.

"Um..." Emmett muttered.

"What the fuck?!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. "You're supposed to be in Half Moon Bay," I accused, pointing at him and Rosalie, "and you are supposed to be with her," I said, pointing at Jasper then Alice, "in _her_ car!" I exclaimed, pointing back to Rosalie. "So what the _fuck_ are you doing here?"

"Uh..." he stuttered again.

"Will you shut the hell up? You sound like a dying cow," I scowled. "You," I stated simply, keeping my finger pointed at Rosalie. "Talk."

"Well, there's a simple explanation for this," Rosalie said, not meeting my eyes.

"There better fucking be," I scoffed. The room stayed quiet, though, and I stared expectantly at her as she still refused to meet my gaze. "Well?" I demanded.

"I fell asleep," she started, "and...I sometimes call people when I'm asleep—dream dialing. Sorry about that."

I stared at her blankly, blinking rapidly.

"Dream dialing?" I repeated.

"Don't you look at me like I've lost my mind," she sassed. "It happens to something like...eight percent of people in America. Get over it. Come on, Alice. I'm taking you home."

They stood up and kissed their respective boyfriends goodbye before stalking past Bella and I, Rosalie scowling at me and Alice looking slightly apologetic as they went out the door, letting it slam shut behind them.

"Right," Jasper said, clearing his throat. "Well, good night."

With that, he and Emmett raced past us, and I could hear them whispering harshly between themselves before a door closed.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" Bella asked, dazed. I turned to look at her and shook my head, rubbing my temples gently.

"I think we got punked."

*

Bella reviewed with me until eleven o'clock, and after she'd confidently said I was as prepared as I could possibly be, I walked her home, surprising her, and even myself, by enveloping her in a hug before I left. Instead of her shocking me, or vice versa, it had turned into an odd, tingly feeling, and we joked that maybe we were just allergic to each other before saying goodbye.

Emmett hadn't been in the room when I'd gone to grab my book and notes for the impromptu study session, nor had he been in the room once I got back from walking Bella home. Since the bathroom door was open, showing a vacant tub, I could only assume he'd decided to stay in Jasper's room. It was probably for the best. I couldn't be held accountable for anything that would have happened to him in his sleep; say, his fingers being dipped in warm water which consequently made him wet the bed, and a video of it coincidentally showing up on Youtube.

I got ready for bed, not feeling extremely confident about the test I'd have to take the next morning, but knowing that if _Bella_ had confidence in me, I had hope. After all, I'd been doing well on my quizzes and other tests; what was one more? I decided that it was merely the label of the test that was intimidating me as I pressed my face into my pillow and closed my eyes, and told myself that I _would_ do well on the test before falling asleep.

~º~º~

The Stats test went very well. I knew exactly what I was doing, and there were only a few questions that I hesitated on before I remembered what sections those types of problems appeared in, thus remembering their formulas. After I'd walked out of class, I felt infinitely lighter knowing I wouldn't have to deal with that stupid math for at least two weeks, and the rest of the day had gone by smoothly.

It had been semi-awkward when I had to go to the Physics lab. I hadn't known what to expect, and it wasn't like we could _talk_ about what happened in class. Hell, we couldn't even _look_ at each other for too long for fear that some other asshole would call and complain again. So I'd just taken my test, turned it in, muttered a goodbye and walked out before heading home.

Thursday afternoon was when Tanya was scheduled to leave. Though I was still slightly annoyed with everybody _but_ Tanya for the...whatever the fuck it was that they'd tried to pull the day before, I couldn't ignore the humor in their stupidity—dream dialing? Really?—and obvious lack of planning, so I let it go. Alice, Emmett and I all decided to take Tanya out for lunch at Chevy's before riding with her to the airport. It was nice to sit around like that; like we used to. We'd all changed, but her distance from the rest of us made it hard to maintain that same level of friendship we'd had before. She'd looked incredibly sad as she hugged me goodbye before walking towards the security checkpoint, and I couldn't help the odd feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me I wouldn't be seeing her for a while.

We sat on the BART, all wrapped up in our own thoughts before Alice broke the silence.

"We should have a party tomorrow night."

"For what?" I asked, turning to look at her.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Just to have one. A sort of pre-Spring Break party, if you will."

Emmett and I looked at each other with a contemplative look on our faces before grinning and nodding.

That night, we sat around the living room and made a small list of the liquor Emmett would need to get at the store the next day, and before Alice left—Jasper had decided to take her home—she gave me an odd look before giggling and kissing my cheek goodbye.

*

Friday was never-ending. It seemed like every class was five hours long, and I knew it was only because it was the last day, and I was anxious to get back to the dorm so I could do some laundry and pack. We'd decided to have the party at the dorm, figuring that as long as we kept the volume level pretty low, we wouldn't get caught. Alice and Rosalie had invited Bella and Jake, but she said they had too much to get done before the flight tomorrow, so it wouldn't have been a good idea for them to attend.

Party poopers.

Finally I was done with classes, and I rushed back to the dorm, grabbed my laundry hamper and ID card and made my way out the door, to the elevators and down to the lobby where the washing machines were. I didn't bother to sort them like I normally did—I blamed my mother completely for that—and dumped them all in, pouring Clorox 2 in with the regular detergent to keep any dark colors from running into the lights.

I went back upstairs with my hamper and grabbed my suitcase, collecting clean clothes from my drawers and armoire that I knew I'd wear, and any other necessities I wouldn't be using before I left the next morning for the airport and stuffing them in my suitcase. Within an hour and a half, my laundry was washed, dried, and scattered all over my bed as I rifled through it, packing away things I wanted to take with me and tossing the others into a pile. After I'd successfully finished packing, I put everything in the pile away, set my suitcase aside, and sat down at my computer. I checked into my flight on the website and printed out my boarding pass so I wouldn't have to deal with the ticket lines.

Why _everybody_ didn't utilize this, I would never understand.

Emmett had gone home with Rosalie after he'd finished with his classes, since she'd be the one taking him to the store to get the alcohol. We'd decided to start drinking about nine that night, just to give everybody time to get their shit done beforehand so we could just chill out and have a good time.

I called my Dad to double check the section of the parking lot he'd told me the Volvo was in, and we talked for about an hour of how their trip was going, old friends of theirs that they'd seen and things like that. We got off the phone around five because they had dinner plans since it was six in Chicago, and he and my Mom wished me a safe trip, making me promise to let them know when I landed _and_ when I made it to the house.

I sighed and looked around the room, extremely bored. The only thing I really disliked about being here was the fact that I didn't have any of my old hobbies. I couldn't skateboard, I couldn't play piano, I couldn't—

"There's a music department, you dipshit," I said out loud, standing up and grabbing my keys off of my desk as I went out of the room.

*

I found one of the piano rooms with relative ease as I wandered through the halls of the Creative Arts building. I smiled and closed the door behind me, walking over to the piano and pulling out the bench before sitting down and skimming my fingertips across the keys. I began playing the Pathétique Sonata, cringing as I hit a wrong note. It had only been a few months since I'd been home; how had I already gotten so rusty? I frowned and started over again, my expression smoothing out as I got the note correct that time.

I loved playing piano. It was an easy way to pass time, because really, you had no _sense_ of time when you were doing something you enjoyed. Hours felt like minutes, and before I knew it, Emmett was calling me asking where the hell I was because it was almost eight o'clock and he had three boxes of pizza from Seniores sitting on the kitchen table.

I made my way back to the dorm in a much more peaceful mood, smiling and nodding politely at random people on campus along the way. I walked through the lobby of the dorms and my stomach growled loudly as I stepped into the elevators with a few other people and pressed my floor. I leaned against the back wall, crossing my arms over my chest as we started going up. Of course, I was the last person off, and when I stepped out I could smell the delicious scent of pizza wafting down the hall.

I practically ran the rest of the way and threw the door open, heading straight for the table and grabbing a big piece of cheese pizza from the first box.

"Hello to you, too," Emmett laughed from the couch, shaking his head.

"I'm too hungry for pleasantries," I mumbled through a mouthful of pizza. I instantly remembered Bella doing the same thing and snorted in laughter, earning an odd glance from Emmett. I rolled my eyes and ignored him, inhaling the first piece of pizza and grabbing another before making my way to the couch.

By the time me, Emmett and Jasper had finished eating, it was almost nine, and Alice and Rosalie were set to be here soon.

"You gonna play bartender tonight, Eddie?" Emmett asked with a grin. "This guy makes bomb ass Long Islands," he told Jasper, pointing a thumb at me. I smirked and rolled my eyes, but agreed to mix the drinks.

Not long after we had everything set out, the girls showed up, demanding their drinks immediately. Alice had a huge paper bag in her hand with a feather boa hanging out of the side, and I stared at it in confusion with a raised eyebrow.

"Do I wanna know?" I asked, scrunching up my nose.

"You'll find out soon enough," she grinned before turning around and heading down the hall, setting it on the floor of the open closet. I knew better than to try and figure it out, so I just proceeded to start making the drinks.

By eleven o'clock, we were drunk as hell. Rosalie had brought her iPod speaker dock, and Alice had updated her iPod with some 'party music' before coming.

Her party music made me want to shoot myself in the face, and not pornstar style, either.

"Why isn't Bella here?" Alice asked, swaying side to side on the couch to the crappy song that was playing.

"Because she's a lame ass and went to bed early," Rosalie said. "Well, allegedly. She's probably fucking the dog. Again."

"She said you were lying about that the last time," I pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "Whatever."

I wondered if Rosalie had a point, though. I mean, I'd had a lot of shit to do to get ready for tomorrow, and I finished it all and was still here. Granted, I lived here, but I was still drinking and having fun. I decided to text her to see what she was doing. If she replied, then obviously she _wasn't_ fucking the do—Jacob.

_**What are you doing?**_

I sent the text and sat on the arm of the couch. Her response was almost immediate, and I opened up the new message and read it.

_**Dying of boredom and trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep. You?**_

I grinned and hit the reply button, pressing the keys quickly.

_**Come over! We're fuuuun.**_

I expected her to reply right away again, but it was at least five minutes before I got a new message from her.

_**I'll be there in a few**_.

"Bella's coming over," I announced, shoving my phone in my pocket and taking a big gulp from my cup. Everybody spoke their approvals, and I walked over to the iPod and started flipping through the songs until I found one I could tolerate.

"Just re-shuffle the damn thing," Rosalie snapped, and I rolled my eyes before taking her advice. I saw Emmett rush towards the hall out of the corner of my eye and snickered, figuring he probably had the shits.

"Look who's here!" he shouted, and I turned around, leaving the iPod to play it's shitty music. I probably wasn't going to find anything worthwhile, anyway.

"Bella!" I exclaimed, raising my arms in the air and vaguely remembering I had a half-full cup in my hand.

"Hey," she said, chuckling lightly. "You guys are smashed already, aren't you?"

"Yupppp," Jasper slurred, his eyes closed, with a stupid grin on his lips as he inched closer to Alice's face.

"Get away from me, freak!" she shrieked, shoving his face away with her palm as she laughed and stood up to go hug Bella.

"You enjoy hugging, don't you?" Bella chuckled, patting Alice on the back as she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged and went into the kitchen to prepare a drink for Bella.

"What is it?" she asked, eying the red plastic cup skeptically as I handed it over.

"Long Island," I replied, wiggling my eyebrows as I took a drink of mine.

"I don't know," she said hesitantly, sniffing it before taking a small sip. "I have to be at the airport pretty early tomorrow morning."

"So do I," I reminded her.

"Drink up, bitch," Rosalie demanded. "We're celebrating."

"And what exactly are we celebrating?"

"Spring Break finally fucking coming around!" I shouted.

"Oh, well, in that case..." She started chugging down the drink, and I watched in awe as she began to tilt the cup back little by little.

"Damn, girl!" Emmett hollered, clapping his hands. "Chug, chug, chug, chug..." We all joined in on his chanting, and when the cup tilted all the way back we cheered loudly. She threw her head back and laughed, but stumbled back slightly. I stepped forward quickly and placed a hand on her lower back to steady her.

"You good?" I asked, eying her carefully.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Guess it wasn't such a great idea to drink that so fast," she chuckled, widening her eyes and blinking rapidly.

"Do it again!" Emmett encouraged.

"You do it, you beast," Alice snapped, scowling at him. "Nobody will care if _you_ get alcohol poisoning."

"Do you see the hostility?" Emmett asked, looking at Bella pitifully and shaking his head. "It breaks my heart, truly. Hey! How about we play DDR again, Bella?!"

"No!" she shouted, waving her hands frantically in the air. "Not a good idea when I'm sober, definitely not a good idea now. I think I'm on the verge of drunk already."

"Lightweight," Jasper teased, shooting up from the couch and swaying his way over to her.

"Look who's talking! You're completely obliterated," she chuckled as he went behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from the back.

"Yeah," he agreed, resting his chin on her shoulder and turning his head to look at her. "But I've had three, or five or something, whereas you have only had one. You need to get on it." He kissed her cheek with a loud smack and I kicked him in the back of his right knee, causing it to give out briefly as he crumpled to the floor.

"Hey, hands off. Your girlfriend is over _there_," I said, pointing to an amused looking Alice the couch.

"I _know_ where she is," he grumbled, attempting to get up without falling over. "She doesn't mind, do you, baby?"

"Nope. I'm fine with it.," she grinned. "Unless Edward's just..._jealous_ of you touching Bella..." She snickered, turning her head towards Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie cackled loudly once, startling me, and Emmett just sat there, grinning like a fool.

"Humor. _Har_," I said, rolling my eyes. I finished off my drink and motioned for Bella to hand me her cup, making my way into the kitchen after she did. I fixed us both another drink and handed the cup back to Bella as I emerged, staring at my dysfunctional family of friends scattered around the living room.

"Well, we need _some _sort of entertainment," Emmett complained. I took a drink and winced slightly—the first of a new cup always tasted strong—before an idea popped into my head. I set my cup down on the counter and turned to Jasper with a huge grin.

"Jazz, come with me. I have a plan," I said, grabbing his arm and starting down the hall. "We'll be right back!"

"Don't be a one-minute man, Ward-o! I know you take charge!" Emmett shouted after us.

"Don't fucking call me that, _Amelia_," I retorted, grabbing the bag Alice had brought over from the open closet in the hall and walking towards my room.

"You said years ago that you'd _never_ bring up that name again!" he yelled. Alice's tinkling laughter sounded throughout the apartment as she told the story of how, when we were kids, Emmett had a total case of gayface, so she always gave him make-overs and dressed him up in girly clothes, then named him Amelia. I shut and locked the door before dropping the bag on the floor, rushing over to my bed and hopping on.

"That's the price you pay for fucking calling me that dumb fucking nickname," I yelled through the wall, pounding my fist against it once then jumping back off the bed.

"S'all this?" Jasper asked with a lazy smile, pulling contents out of the bag and holding them up.

"Alice brought all this shit," I said, shaking my head. She'd obviously gotten a vision of what was about to happen. "I don't really care about her half-ass reasons." I grabbed the feather boas and two shiny, plastic hats and tossed a pair to Jasper, instructing him to put it on. I ran over to my desk and ripped off two slivers of paper, grabbed a black sharpie and scribbled 'SIMON' across them both, then tore off two pieces of tape. I folded them into circles then stuck them on the back of the papers before sticking one on the front of my hat, then walking over to Jasper and sticking the other on the front of his.

"Okay," I started, wrapping the boa around my neck and putting the hat on. "Are you sober enough to remember that song from American Idol?"

*

We crept into the hallway silently, leaning our ears towards the living room to hear what they were all talking about.

"Okay, if they're not really fucking, I don't know what the hell is taking them so damn long," Emmett grumbled. "I'm going back there."

"Emmett, why are you so concerned?" Rosalie asked. "Do you _want_ to see gay sex? Is that what you're trying to tell me? That you enjoy gay porn?"

I bit back the laughter that was threatening to come out; leave it to Emmett to deem himself the cock blocker, straight _or_ gay.

"Why does he think we're having sex? I'm fucking his sister, not you," Jasper whispered. I elbowed him in his stomach hard and glared behind my shoulder at him as he hunched over silently.

"And she's my best friend, asshole," I hissed. "Watch yourself."

"Okay, okay, sorry."

"I just don't understand why they're hiding things from me all the time," Emmett continued as one of the chairs creaked. "I'm always left out. Your brother is stealing my thunder, and it's not appreciated." His voice was sounding nearer, and I turned to Jasper with a grin.

"Okay, are you ready?" I whispered. Jasper nodded enthusiastically, and I held up three fingers, silently counting down.

"I'm going to see what they're doing, godda—"

"I AM YOUR BROOOODDERRR—" Jasper and I shouted as we jumped out of the hallway, directly in front of Emmett, with our arms around each other's shoulders.

"AHHH!!" Emmett screeched, stumbling backwards, terrified.

"Your best friend foreeeeber," we continued singing, swaying side to side. "Singing the songs, the music dat you liiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIKE—"

"What the fuck is this?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"—thisisyourentertainmentEmmett," I sang quickly before turning back to Jasper as we continued the song. "We're broooodders 'til the end of time, togedder or not, you're always in my heeeeeart, you hurt your feelings, and you will rain on moooooiiiiiiine!"

We opened our eyes and turned to see everybody staring at us like we were fucking lepers in complete silence before Rosalie erupted into a fit of very unladylike snorts and guffaws. It was a sort of chain reaction. Within 60 seconds, the entire room was roaring with laughter with begs of a repeat performance. Just as Jasper and I had started up again, we heard a few loud bangs on the front door. Emmett ran around us to the door and looked out the peephole before cursing under his breath and motioning for us to all quiet down.

"It's the RA!" he hissed, looking over his shoulder at the door as the knocks came again.

"Shit! Get rid of the alcohol!" I whispered harshly, grabbing all of the cups in the living room as quickly and efficiently as possible. "You girls, go to the bedrooms and close the doors!" I ordered. It wasn't a rule that we couldn't have company over past a certain time, but it _was_ a rule that we couldn't have alcohol in the dorms _period_, especially since nobody in the room was 21 yet. If the RA found any of this out, we'd get in some serious shit.

Jasper, Emmett and I had cleared as much as we could before the knocks became more persistent, and a slightly scary voice, even muffled, sounded through the door.

"Shit! Which one of us answers the door?" I panicked.

"Edward and Emmett!" we heard, and turned to see Alice's head sticking out of Jasper's bedroom door as she motioned him towards her. "Emmett is intimidating and Edward, your face pretty much gets you out of anything."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, dryly. She shut the bedroom door and I took in a deep breath before pulling the front door open. Of course, it had to be the orange-haired beast standing behind it, looking positively frazzled and irate.

"_What_ the HELL is going on in here?" she demanded, causing both Emmett and I to flinch.

"Ah...what—what do you mean?" I stammered, trying to avoid eye contact with her at all cost, even though I could feel her penetrating stare.

"Do you _normally_ parade around your apartment at almost two in the morning, looking like a drag queen?"

"Hey!" I shouted, turning my head to her. "So what if I do? Who are you to judge me?"

"Oh, _shut up_, fruit cake. I have had it up to _**here **_with this n—"

The bedroom door was thrown open, effectively cutting off the beast, and Rosalie emerged, hands on hips. "You know what, LeeAnn?" she started as she marched down the hall, shoving Emmett and me out of the way to show herself. "You're taking it a bit too fucking far, here."

"What the hell are you doing here, Rosalie?" _LeeAnn_ demanded.

"That's none of your goddamn business," she snapped.

"And this is none of _your_ business, so back off."

"No, see, that's where you're wrong. When you insult my family, you make it my business."

Family? Jasper wasn't in here. I was about to point this out to her before she began rambling on again.

"You know, I think I know what your problem is," Rosalie said, her expression and tone the complete opposite of what it'd been five seconds before. Maybe Bipolarity ran in this family I was allegedly part of. "Do you know what you need?"

"I need _sle—_"

"NO, no," Rosalie interrupted, waving a finger in the RA's face. "No. What _you_ need is to get laid. Maybe then you won't be such a fucking bitch. ACTUALLY, I take that back," she said, looking up thoughtfully. "The main reason you're not getting laid is probably because you're such a fucking hag, so I'm going to do you a favor. Actually, I'm going to do hundreds, maybe even _thousands _of people a favor, because I'm just a humanitarian like that. The next time I stop at a sex shop, I'm buying you a ten-inch vibrator. You really need to fucking get_ yourself _off and get off our backs for having a good time! We'll try to keep it down, but I make no promises. My boyfriend is amazing in the sack. Now good _night_, " she said, and kicked the door shut.

I stared at her in awe, fully prepared and willing to get down on my knees and worship at her feet before Bella, Jasper and Alice came into the hall.

"Rose, that was _flawless_," Bella laughed, throwing an arm around Rosalie's waist and walking back to the living room as Emmett and I followed with Alice and Jasper behind us. "Except for the fact that...I don't have sex."

"You will," Rosalie said, patting Bella's hand before they sat down on the couch. "Soon." I perched myself on the arm of the couch as Emmett went to one arm chair and Jasper to another, bringing Alice down on his lap. That didn't go unnoticed by Emmett, and he glared at Jasper with a clenched jaw and flared nostrils until Alice kicked him in the knee.

"Yeah, sure," Bella scoffed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her legs.

"Trust me, Bella. It's gonna happen in no time at all." I turned to face the two and raised my eyebrows.

"With who, the _dog_?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. Bella leaned forward and looked at me incredulously.

"_What_? No! Do you think that's all I can get?" she demanded, her eyebrows furrowing.

"No! No, I didn't say that. I just—Rosalie was making it like it was somebody obvious...or something," I mumbled, scratching the back of my neck.

"Well it's definitely not _that_ obvious," Bella scoffed, shaking her head.

"Oh, come on. Haven't you ever considered it?" Rosalie asked.

"With Jake?" Rosalie nodded, leaning back on the couch and folding her arms across her chest. "No. Just...no."

"Not even a little? _Ever_?"

"Well...okay, when I was 18, I sort of did. But I got over that real quick! It'll never happen."

"Do you _want_ it to happen?" I asked.

"No," she said firmly

"Does he?"

"I—"

"Why are you so concerned?" Rosalie interrupted with a smirk.

"I'm not!" I defended. "I was just trying to make conversa—can we just change the subject, _please_?"

"Does my sex life bother you, Edward?" Bella prodded with a raised eyebrow.

"_No_, but this girl talk _does_. I can feel the masculinity dwindling in the air. You might as well be talking about tampons and..._feminine _wash," I said, scrunching up my nose.

"Actually, now that you mention it—" Alice jumped in.

"NO! No, no, please, just..._no_," I pleaded, hopping up and waving my hands frantically. All three girls laughed heartily and I moved away from them, taking residence in the neutral territory: the kitchen.

"I need to go," Bella announced, standing up and wobbling slightly before laughing and making her way around the coffee table.

"Bella, it's almost three in the morning," Rosalie said, pointing to the clock. "Just stay here. That's what we're all doing."

"_You_ all," she started, "have an afternoon flight. _We_," she said, motioning between herself and me, "have a flight at seven in the morning, and I have to be up in _an hour_ to make it to the airport on time."

"If you guys have to get up at the same time, then he can wake you up," Emmett said, motioning towards me with his chin. "You can have my bed."

"But Jake—"

"Will be _fine_ by himself," Rosalie argued. "He's a big kid, now, and you have to go back home to get your stuff anyway. If he's not awake, you can wake him up then. He won't know the difference."

Bella stared at her, mulling over her words before sighing and agreeing to stay.

"I should probably to go sleep now, though," she reasoned.

"Me too," I agreed. "Come on. Night everybody."

A chorus of 'good night' came from them as we walked down the hall and into my room, and I closed the door behind us. I bent down and pulled out some pajama pants as Bella pulled back Emmett's sheets and climbed into his bed. She was busy messing around on her phone, so I quickly unzipped and dropped my pants before pulling on the bottoms. I set my alarm for four in the morning as Bella leaned over and put her phone on Emmett's computer desk. I climbed into my bed and under the covers, suddenly overcome with exhaustion.

"G'night," Bella mumbled.

"Night," I replied through a yawn, snuggling further into my mattress. I couldn't have had my eyes closed for more than three minutes before I felt a gentle poke in my shoulder. I cracked open one eye, and through the moonlight that streamed into the window, I saw Bella standing next to my bed with a sheepish grin.

"Hmm?"

"Can I..." she trailed off, scratching her arm and looking down.

"Can you what?" I mumbled into my pillow, closing my eyes again.

"It's just...I don't wanna roll around in their bodily fluids," she whispered harshly. I cracked a grin and opened both of my eyes to see her torso turned completely around, staring at Emmett's mattress.

"Don't blame you," I said before grabbing the corner of my sheet and comforter and throwing them back while scooting against the wall. "Come on, then."

She hopped in on her side, her back to me, with a rushed 'thank you' and hurriedly brought the covers back over us, tucking them under her chin. I chuckled and snuggled back into my pillows, closing my eyes once again. We laid in silence for a bit, her shifting her position every few minutes to get comfortable. After an estimated ten minutes of her doing that, I reached for her hip and grasped it, effectively causing her to halt her movements.

"Stop moving, jitterbug," I chuckled.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"S'okay."

We laid for a few more minutes in complete silence, my hand still on her hip, and I could tell she was trying very hard not to move a muscle. Finally, I lifted my hand to my eyes and pressed my fingers into them before pinching the bridge of my nose.

"You don't have to be stone still, Bella."

"I don't want to bother you!" she said, exasperated.

"Is the bed uncomfortable?" I asked, lowering my arm over the comforter.

"No, it's not that."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't know," she huffed.

"Do you want me to cuddle you?" I cooed teasingly.

"Shut up," she chuckled, kicking her foot back and nudging my calf.

"Jesus! Your feet are like ice blocks, woman," I hissed, instantly rubbing my foot against the area her foot touched to make it a bit warmer.

"Sorry," she mumbled, "they're always like that."

"Do you want some socks or something?" I asked, moving to sit up, but she grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"I'll just end up kicking them off. They'll warm up on their own." I shrugged and laid back down on my side, once again.

"Bella?"

"Huh?"

"You can let go of my arm, you know. I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, promptly releasing my wrist from her grasp. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," I laughed. "It's not that serious."

She sighed and turned her head slightly, her chin resting on her shoulder. "Are you still drunk?"

"Mmm...nope. I think I'm still a bit buzzed, though. You?"

"Same."

She turned her head forward again and silence enveloped the room for a few moments. Finally, she huffed and muttered something under her breath before reaching over and grabbing my hand, roughly pulling my arm over her side and bringing my hand to rest against her upper stomach, her hand still grasping mine. I grinned and turned my face into my pillow as I chuckled silently.

"Are you laughing at me?" she demanded.

"Yup," I replied immediately.

"Asshole," she muttered, pulling her hand away from mine and placing it underneath the cheek she was laying on.

"Aw, come on. It's okay, I'm a closeted cuddler. I love it. Just don't tell anybody," I joked. I felt her shoulders shaking as she laughed and I grinned, closing my eyes.

"I'm telling everybody," she said cheekily.

"That's the thanks I get for letting you share my bed," I sighed, shaking my head. "I could have let you roll around in dried semen, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

"I appreciate the sincerity," I scoffed.

"I knew you would," she quipped.

"Just so we're clear, you're not going to wake up kicking and screaming again when you see me in the morning, are you?"

"I'll try not to, but it _is_ a rather frightening sight," she teased. "No, I won't. And if I do, I'll be the one to fall out of the bed this time, not you."

"Fair enough," I shrugged. "I'm going to move my hand, though, so I don't get accused of groping you."

"Har har," she said sarcastically. I smirked and moved my hand down, tightening my grip on her as I made contact with her skin; her t-shirt had ridden up slightly. I groaned softly as my hand rested on her lower stomach, between her hips. It was the most amazing, non-sexual thing I'd ever felt. It was like it was made for my hand, it fit so perfectly, and it was soft, and warm, and just fucking perfect and I never wanted to move ever again.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure this is my favorite spot ever, and you need to sleep with me every night so I can feel it," I replied, pressing my palm against it slightly as I scooted closer to her, her body molding against mine.

"Weirdo," she chuckled.

"No, seriously, I don't even know how to explain it, but it's amazing," I sighed, running my hand over her protruding hip bone then back to my spot—yes, my spot—multiple times.

"Okay, stop that. You're gonna turn me on," she laughed, nudging my calf with her still-cold foot again. I grinned and moved my mouth to her ear.

"Promise?" I whispered. She inhaled sharply, tensing against me, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Jesus, what's with us when we drink?" she asked, breathing out a laugh.

"I don't know," I replied, nudging some of her hair off the back of her neck with my nose before running it across the bare skin gently and inhaling. "But you smell amazing."

"Okay," she said breathlessly, "stop trying to molest me and go to sleep. We have to get up soon."

"You love it," I grinned into her hair and scooted closer to her, if it were possible, and moved my hand back to my spot before closing my eyes as I relaxed in my very comfortable position.

"Just the same."

I chuckled and sighed softly. "Good night, Bella."

"G'night, Edward."

I fell asleep within two minutes.

*

I groaned as my alarm went off. It didn't feel like I'd been asleep for more than five minutes before I was rudely being woken up. I opened my eyes and furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as both my body and arm was pressed against something warm and soft before remembering that Bella was in my bed. I begrudgingly sat up, leaning on one of my palms as I reached over to turn the alarm off, running a hand through my hair and down my face.

"Bella," I mumbled, waiting a few seconds to see if she was awake. I repeated her name, slightly louder, but she still didn't answer, so I shook her shoulder and said her name again. She twitched and threw her arm up and back, smacking me in the side of the face.

"Ow, what the fuck?" I complained, rubbing along where she hit me. She turned over and stared at me sleepily, furrowing her eyebrows.

"What are you doing in my bed?" she asked.

"Oh, no," I groaned. "Not this again."

"Wait, I'm in _your_ bed, huh?"

"Yup," I replied, leaning against the back of the wall and rubbing at my eyes.

"Mmkay," she replied, turning over again. "Night."

"No, no 'night'," I argued, shaking her shoulder. "You have to get up. Come on, I'll walk you home."

"Iowanna," she mumbled.

"Don't make me drag you out of bed," I sighed, almost fully awake now. She hummed but made no effort to get out of bed. I sighed heavily, climbed over her legs and stood up on the floor before slipping my arms under her knees and upper back and lifting her unceremoniously out of the bed. Her eyes flew open and she gasped, throwing her arms around my neck and clutching at it tightly.

"Oh, good, you're up," I grinned. She turned her head to look at me with wide, slightly terrified eyes and I chuckled before setting her on her feet gently. "Come on, it's after four now and you need to get home."

She cursed under her breath and went over to grab her phone and keys off of Emmett's desk before slipping her shoes on. I grabbed a hoodie out of my armoire and threw it to her before grabbing another and pulling it over my head quickly.

"Thanks," she sighed, pulling it over her head and fixing the hood. It practically swallowed her and I smirked, shaking my head slightly as she announced that she was ready to go and walked towards the bedroom door. I grabbed my keys before we made our way down the hallway and out the door as quietly as possible.

"You don't have to walk me home, you know," she said, turning her head to look at me. I sighed and shoved my hands in the pockets of my hoodie, rolling my eyes.

"You couldn't even get out of bed on your own. Like I'm just going to let you waltz off while it's still dark outside, half-asleep and unable to defend yourself."

"You don't have to protect everybody all the time, Edward," she huffed, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I know," I replied. "But when people insist on constantly putting themselves in situations of potential _danger_," I stressed, "I do. I feel like the one time I _don't_, something will happen, and I'll never forgive myself."

She was silent for a moment before sighing heavily. "Fine," she mumbled. I smirked and looked both ways before crossing the street to the divider, then crossing the street again and walking down the sidewalk next to her, towards the parking hut.

"How long do you think it'll take you to get ready and out the door?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'd say we should just all go to the airport together, but I don't want to make you late in the event that me and Jake are. And I'm pretty sure we will be."

"'Kay," I nodded. "Well, if you are, I'll distract the pilot so the plane doesn't take off without you guys," I smirked.

"I appreciate that," she laughed. We approached the bus stop in front of her complex and she turned to face me, walking backwards. "Okay, I think I'm good from here."

"Yeah, I should probably head back so I can get ready and stuff," I replied, pulling my hood over my head. "You know the bus route to the airport, right?"

The first BART didn't leave until almost seven that morning, so unfortunately, we had to take the much longer, more complicated route to the airport via buses.

"91 to the 14 to the SamTrans 292," she responded. "That's what Transit 511 said, at least."

"Yup," I nodded in agreement. "Okay. See you at the airport."

She nodded and waved before turning around and jogging down the sidewalk. I watched to make sure she didn't trip and face-plant on the way to and up the stairs, and once she made it to the door safely, I headed back to the dorm.

Everybody was still dead asleep when I got back, and rightfully so. I envied them, scowling as I walked back to my room and started stripping off my clothes. I changed into what I would wear for the day and trudged to the bathroom, took a piss then brushed my teeth before wiping off my toothbrush, sticking it in the travel case and walking back in my room to stick it in my suitcase. I looked up at the clock and saw it was almost almost four-thirty, did a double check around my room to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything—namely my keys—and when I was confident that I had everything I needed, I pulled up the handle of my suitcase, wheeled it out of the room and quietly made my way down the hall and out the door to the elevators.

Since it was the weekend, the shuttle didn't run, so I walked to the bus stop and boarded the 17 when it came around, getting off at the stop on 19th Avenue to wait for the 91.

Over an hour and a half later, I was putting my shoes, keys, cell phone and luggage in a plastic bin at the security check point. I got through without a problem, and lucky for me the terminal was only a short way down from there. I looked around for Bella and Jacob, but I couldn't see them anywhere in the waiting area. I checked my phone as I sat down and saw that it was already twenty after six, and I knew that within the next ten minutes or so the plane would start boarding. I texted her, asking where she was, but she didn't answer. When they called my group to board, I sighed heavily and stood up, pulling the handle on my bag and turning towards the gate.

"Edward!"

I turned around and saw Bella running towards me with Jake in tow, and I shook my head at her.

"I know I said I'd hold the plane, but I didn't actually think you took me _seriously_," I said, raising an eyebrow as she stopped in back of me, panting heavily.

"This idiot had a fucking nickel lodged in his pants and had to get taken aside at security and searched," she scowled, turning to glare at Jacob. He rolled his eyes and looked away, disinterested. I bit my lip to suppress a laugh and turned my head towards the gate.

"They just called group one," I said.

"That's what group we're in," she replied, "come on."

We stood in line and waited as the people at the front of the gate scanned boarding passes before letting the passengers through. I handed mine to the lady when I reached the front and thanked her before moving up and stepping to the side to wait for Bella and Jacob. They got their passes scanned and I started down the ramp, pulling my suitcase behind me.

"What seat are you?" I asked, looking back at her briefly before turning my attention forward again.

"Eleven E. You?"

"Ten B," I laughed, shaking my head. "This is ridiculous, how much this sort of thing happens with us."

"I know," she laughed. It died down quickly though, and I raised an eyebrow as I stopped behind a few people at the door of the plane, turning around to see Jake frowning at his boarding pass and Bella staring at him skeptically. "What? What's wrong? I don't like that face."

"I'm...Ten A," he muttered.

"You're what?" she asked monotonously.

"My seat. It's Ten A."

"You fucking dumb shit!" she shouted, smacking his chest as we inched forward. I snorted in laughter as she continued to scold him about how she'd have to sit between _two_ disgusting, horny men that would probably try to cop a feel the entire flight because of his stupidity.

"Hello," the pilot greeted at the door as I walked through with a huge grin on my face.

"How's it goin'?" I asked. Bella had calmed down behind me and I pushed down my handle on the suitcase before picking it up and making my way down the aisle to my seat. I paused in front of it, lifting my bag to put in the overhead compartment before sliding into the row and sitting in my seat. Bella lifted her bag overhead and slid into her row one ahead and to the right of me, glaring at Jacob as she plopped down in the middle chair. He ignored her as he lifted his bag, situating it next to mine, and I stared up at him in amusement.

"You can have the window seat, if it will make your flight more enjoyable," I said, pursing my lips as I tried desperately not to laugh. He stared blankly at me for a second before erupting into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he fell into his seat, running his hands over his face.

"She's really pissed," he chortled, and I joined in, nodding in agreement.

"I'm trying to envision the people she'll get seated next to," I mused, staring at her row. An elderly woman excused herself and told Bella she had the window seat, and Bella slid out of the row to let her in before sitting back down again. "Okay, person," I corrected.

"Balding," he replied with a smile as his laughter died down. "Definitely balding."

"Hard breather, too," I nodded, and he hummed in agreement. "Hawaiian shirt?"

"Either that, or a two-sizes-too-small white t-shirt."

We continued snickering as we named off all the most unattractive physical attributes we could think of that would make the flight all the more humorous.

"Is this eleven E?" we heard a deep voice say, and we halted our laughter, staring at each other as huge grins crossed both of our faces. We looked up simultaneously to see the horror Bella would have to endure for the entirety of the flight, however, I was pretty sure his face fell just like mine did as my eyes landed on a guy that looked anything _but_ everything we'd described.

* * *

**End Notes: **Good chapter? Y/N? Review and tell me what you think, then head over to the forum and discuss with us (link is on my profile page). :)


	17. Chapter 16:Airplane hunks & Store chumps

**Chapter Notes: **I'm sure you're all wondering why this post is going up a day early; I have a very good explanation for this. **YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING _AWESOME_**! Not only did you all blow me away by reaching 150 reviews PLUS, but I got nominated for a Bellie Award in the best UST category! I am beyond ecstatic right now. I appreciate your support more than you know, and you guys totes deserve a reward for all of your support! I LOVE you guys!

I want to thank Missy for agreeing to be my beta and doing an awesome job with the corrections. She totally helped me make this chapter better. :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **What I own: MY VERY FIRST BELLIE NOMINATION! suh-_weeeet  
_What I do not own: Twilight, suckas.

* * *

Chapter Song: Please, Please, Please, Please (Young Hollywood) - Head Automatica

* * *

_-B-_

My best friend was a fucking idiot.

I sat in my seat fuming, arms crossed over my chest as I glared at the back of the seat in front of me. This was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid; why I'd wanted him to send _me_ the money so that I could buy the tickets. Now, not only would I be stuck between two random people the entirety of the flight, I'd also have to listen to the _worst_ two spawn of the male population cackling together at my expense while I sat in solitude, bored and slightly afraid for my personal bubble. Shouldn't Jake have offered me his seat? He was a fucking giant; nobody would mess with his ass. And _Edward_, Mr. 'I'm-so-overprotective-you-can't-even-walk-out-the-door-at-night-alone' didn't even spare a second glance!

Fuck men. All of them.

"Is this eleven D?"

I rolled my eyes and turned my head towards the deep voice, about to ask the guy if he could _read_ because the numbers were clearly printed in front of his face, but was rendered speechless when I saw his face.

On second thought, maybe just fuck this _one_. Holy hell.

I knew I probably wouldn't be able to say anything without sounding like a fucking moron, so I simply nodded my head slowly. He grinned and—_fuck me_; those dimples. Guh.

"Thanks," he said, straightening up to put his bag overhead. I took that opportunity to ogle unashamedly. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt that clung to his torso perfectly, riding up slightly as his arms were extended up, exposing a sliver of tanned, smooth skin and hints of that ever-so-sexy V that disappeared into the waist of his low-hung jeans. His sculpted biceps flexed as he stuffed his bag further back, and I could feel the drool pooling inside my cleavage—thank _God_ I'd grabbed the wrong (low, scoop neck) tank top and didn't have time to change it out.

I situated my shirt and wiggled in the seat, pushing my chest out slightly to emphasize my assets as he hunched over and sat in his seat. I heard his seat belt buckle and I stared straight ahead, folding my hands over my stomach and crossing my legs, swinging my foot back and forth. I suddenly remembered that my phone was still on so I bent down to retrieve my purse from under my seat, rifling through it until I found my phone. I text messaged my Mom to let her know I was shutting my phone off until the flight was over and that I'd give her a call when I got to Seattle before holding down the power button and tossing it back into my purse.

"Thanks for reminding me," the hunk to my left said, and I turned my head in his direction to see him turning off his phone. I inhaled deeply and licked my lips, scanning his features as thoroughly as I could in a brief amount of time—strong, defined jaw; high cheek bones; full, shapely lips and a five o'clock shadow—before deciding that I was definitely coherent enough to talk to him now.

"Glad I could be of service," I replied with a smirk. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and rubbed his hands up and down his thighs as he grinned at me with those perfectly straight teeth that made me want to rip my pants off and mount him right then and there.

Privacy was overrated anyway.

"I'm Horace, by the way," he said, extending his large hand. _Horror_ flashed over my face for a split -second before I reeled it in, composing myself. _Horace_?! How could such a _hot_ guy have such a hideous fucking name? I cleared my throat and grasped his hand, shaking it gently.

"Nice to meet you...Horace, I'm Bella."

He stared at me in amusement and chuckled silently, his shoulders shaking, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Was he laughing at _my_ name? Seriously? _Horace _was laughing at _me?!_

"I was totally kidding," he laughed, shaking his head. "My name isn't Horace."

"Thank God," I breathed out in relief. "Wait, it's not something _worse_, is it? Like Norman, or Rupert, or Bert?"

"_Well_..." he trailed off, looking up in mock contemplation before meeting my gaze and grinning. "No, actually, it's Jace."

Oh, God. _Jace_. His name was almost as sexy as he was.

"Okay then, nice to meet you...Jace," I stammered, nodding slightly.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied with a wink. "Really."

I stared at him, my lips slightly parted as my breathing sped up. Was he coming onto me? Not nearly enough as he _should_ have been, if he was.

Literally, he needed to be _on_ me; like, yesterday.

"So, where are you headed?" he asked.

"Um...Seattle," I replied slowly. Oh, God, _please_ don't let him be stupid. _Please, _I _beg _of you.

"No, I didn't mean that," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I must have sounded like a moron. I meant is Seattle your final stop, or are you connecting to another flight there?"

"_Oh_," I said, sighing in relief. Thank you, Jesus! "No—I mean yeah, Seattle is my final stop."

"Is that where you're from?" he pressed. I felt the plane start to back up and tensed slightly, digging my elbows into the armrests. The pilot's voice flowed from the speakers as the stewardess' silently demonstrated the safety procedures.

"I was born there, but I was raised in Phoenix," I answered, my chest tightening as we turned and started forward. "What about you?"

"Victoria," he said. I stared at him in confusion and he smiled before saying, "British Columbia. Good 'ol Canada."

"I've never met a Canadian," I mused. "Do they all look as good as you?"

My eyes widened immediately at my outburst, and he stared at me with raised eyebrows before laughing heartily as I cowered in embarrassment.

"Pretend I didn't say that, please," I mumbled, covering my face with my hands.

"Now why would I want to do that?" he questioned. "It's not every day a beautiful girl accidentally confesses she finds me attractive."

I groaned and sunk down even farther in my seat, both from him stressing the fact that I'd just _met_ him and he'd somehow erased my speech filter, and the fact that we were speeding down the runway, about to lift into the air.

I uncrossed my legs and placed both feet firmly on the ground, gripping onto the armrests so tightly that my fingers were turning white.

"You okay, there?"

"Peachy," I replied curtly. Jace must have understood I wasn't in a talking mood at that moment—seriously, I was about to marry this guy. Could he get any better?—and as I felt the plane tilt up, I pressed my lips together and clenched my jaw tightly.

After a few minutes passed and we'd elevated without any problems, I exhaled deeply and relaxed a bit. It was always the worst in the beginning.

"I'm sorry about that," I apologized, looking over to Jace. "I'm not much a fan of traveling via air."

"My sister's the same way. If I even try to talk to her she claws at my eyes, so I know the warning signs," he chuckled. I breathed out a laugh and straightened up in my seat, pulling my shirt down in the back as it was riding up.

The pilot came on and informed us of our current elevation as the plane leveled, and that there might be some turbulence ahead but not to worry. Easy for him to say; he probably hadn't watched _La Bamba_ yesterday.

Jace lifted his arms up and stretched, groaning slightly, and I caught a whiff of his deodorant. Old Spice. _Yum_.

I paused mid-thought. Smelling somebody's armpits, even if I wasn't _directly_ sniffing them, was slightly off-putting and I mentally chastised myself for not having better control. But fuck me, this guy was too hot for his own good.

Just then, the plane started shaking slightly. It only lasted a few seconds, though, before smoothing out.

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling my head side to side on the headrest. "I _really_ dislike flying."

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" he asked, reaching his hand over the armrest, palm-up. I looked up at him and saw nothing but amusement in his icy blue eyes, and I huffed slightly.

"_No_," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I don't know where that hand has been."

"Well first of all, you've already touched my hand," he teased, "and secondly, I don't _look_ dirty, do I?"

"Looks can be deceiving," I challenged, pursing my lips together as I fought the huge grin threatening to spread across my lips.

"They certainly can," he murmured, running his eyes up and down my body before meeting my gaze. I could feel the heat rushing up to my skin, and at that moment I was _cursing_ showing so much skin. I closed my eyes tightly and turned my head forward, clenching my jaw and willing myself to stop being so damn flustered.

"Are you _blushing_?" he asked.

"Shut up," I muttered, slouching down in my seat.

"You _are_! A full body blush, at that!" he exclaimed with a chuckle. "That's a first for me."

"Shut up!" I shouted, reaching my hand across and smacking him in his stomach.

I nearly fainted.

I could feel muscles that I hadn't even known _existed_ on that stomach. I was almost tempted to ask the stewardess if she had a block of cheese when she came by with refreshments, just to see if you really _could_ grate it on abs.

"Bella," I heard, and I looked up to find Jake standing next to Jace, hunched over so that I could see his face. He cracked his knuckles, pushed his chest out and squared his shoulders as much as he possibly could in his position, and I glared at him.

Oh, hell to the _no_. I knew that fucking look, and it was _not_ wanted nor was it appreciated at that moment in time. He was not about to get all 'fear-me-I'm-huge' on me _now_, just because this _gorgeous_ specimen of a man was seemingly taking an interest in me.

"Jake, you asshole, the seatbelt sign isn't even turned off yet," I scolded. "Go sit down."

"I was just making sure you were okay," he replied, narrowing his eyes slightly as he kept glancing between me and Jace.

"Everything is _fine_, go sit _down_," I said through clenched teeth, widening my eyes slightly so he'd take the fucking hint and scram.

"Oh, I didn't—I can switch seats, if you want," Jace said, looking up at Jake. His face relaxed and he smiled widely, but before he could reply I cut in, effectively putting a stop to his little scheme.

"I don't think so, buddy," I argued, placing a hand on Jace's forearm—_guh_, I could feel the veins slightly protruding—to stop him from unbuckling his seat belt.

"Wha—" Jacob started, but I held up my hand to silence him.

"You were the dumb shit that decided not to pay attention to where you were clicking when you booked the flight, since you couldn't be bothered to drive fifteen miles out of town to Western Union me the money for your ticket. That is your seat, and that is where you will stay. Now _you,_ Jacob Black, can just march your ass back and have a grand ol' flight with _Ward-o_ over there—" Upon hearing the nickname, Edward stuck his head out and scowled at me. "—and I'll see you dip shits in Seattle."

Jacob was fuming, I could tell, but he turned and stepped back, sliding into his seat and slumping in defeat. I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily.

"You'll have to excuse my idiot best friend," I said, turning to Jace. "He's...well, he's an idiot."

"You might have mentioned that," he chuckled. "He kind of looked like he wanted to murder me."

"He does that with almost every guy he sees interacting with me," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Normally it's welcomed because the guys are just total creeps, but he needs to know when to chill the hell out."

"Are you saying you..._welcome _this interaction?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Don't get cocky. There's enough of that over there," I teased, motioning towards Edward and Jacob's seats. Jace laughed loudly and ran a hand through his messy, black hair.

"I'm just reading between the lines," he said innocently.

"Sure, sure," I retorted. "So Jace. Tell me about yourself."

"Okay," he nodded with a half-smile. "Well, my name is Jace Alexander Malinski, I'm twenty-four years-old and I'm working towards my Masters in Engineering at San Francisco State."

"Engineering? Jeez, smarty," I smirked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, us Canadians _are_ pretty smart," he winked. "Your turn. Tell me all the good stuff."

"Right," I smiled, shaking my head. "I'm Isabella Marie Swan, but if you call me Isabella I will hurt you."

"Got it," he laughed.

"I'm twenty, I go to SFSU as well, and...I don't have a major. I don't even have an _inkling_ of a major, which is pretty bad considering I have to declare one by the start of Fall semester."

"There's still time. It'll come to you when it's supposed to," he said.

"I trust you, oh-wise-one," I joked. "I'm really not too concerned right now, anyway, although it would be nice to know exactly what I want to do with my life."

"Well, what's the fun in that?" he grinned.

"You make some very valid points, my friend. Very valid points."

We spent the duration of the flight talking and getting to know each other better. There were a few instances where things randomly flew at my head, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the source—or _sources_—of the offending objects. I'd thrown the wadded up napkins back a few times before ignoring them all together. The two hours seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, the pilot was coming on overhead, telling us to prepare for landing.

"Are you any better with landings?" Jace asked.

"Barely," I mumbled, and he nodded before shutting his mouth.

If I hadn't have been so nervous, playing over scenarios in my head of the plane's brakes giving out and us crashing straight through the airport, I probably would have blurted out something extremely obscene and inappropriate, because—fuck it. The chances of me seeing this guy again, much less him _remembering_ me, were slim to none.

We landed safely, however, and as we slowed on the runway, making our way towards the gate, Jace turned to me with a small smile.

"Well, _Bella_ Marie Swan with no foreseeable major," he teased with a wink, "it was a pleasure being in your company the entirety of this flight."

"Well, I _am_ the light of everybody I know's life," I joked. "This was my least painful flight to date, though, so thank you for that."

"Glad I could be of service," he grinned, quoting me from earlier in the flight.

Could he _be_ any cuter? God.

"I was wondering," he continued as the plane stopped and the pilot thanked us all for flying with Northwest. "Would it be possible for me to get your number? I mean, since we both go to SFSU and all, we might as well meet up for coffee some time...you know."

"Uh huh," I smirked. "I know."

"So...is that a..." He trailed off and raised a questioning eyebrow. I pretended to mull it over in my head—right, like I'd _seriously_ pass up the opportunity to go out with his fine ass—before smirking and pointing to his lap.

"Hand me your phone," I ordered. He pulled it out and turned it on before handing it over to me, and I typed in my number with him looking over my shoulder before saving it under 'Eleven E'. He chuckled lowly and I shivered, feeling his breath on my bare shoulder as I handed his phone back.

"Give me yours," he said as I bent over to pick up my purse from the floor. I reached in and powered it on before handing it over, and, naturally, he saved his under 'Eleven D' then handed it back. We stood up simultaneously and, when there was a lull in traffic down the aisle, Jace stepped back and reached into the overhead compartment.

"This one yours?" he asked, pulling down my bag.

He was trying to fucking kill me. Literally, I felt like I was _dying_. He was too good to be true.

"Yup," I croaked, clearing my throat and internally cursing it for betraying my inability to think coherently at that moment as I thanked him and took my bag from his hand. He pulled down the bag of the woman next to me and placed it on the seat for her, and she thanked him profusely as he finally pulled down his bag.

I followed him into the aisle and looked back to see Edward and Jacob grabbing their bags from overhead with sour faces. They must not have had a good flight. I snickered and turned back around, inching my way towards the front with the flow of the crowd. Served them right.

Once we got out of the door and into the gate, Jace and I walked together, making small talk as we neared the end of the tunnel. Once we'd stepped out and into the airport, he pulled me over to the side so we were out of the way.

"It really was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope to talk to you soon," he said, staring directly into my eyes.

"Okay," I nodded stupidly. He grinned, reached for my hand and pulled it up to his mouth, kissing the top of it gently while never breaking eye contact.

"Good bye, Bella."

"Bye...Jace..." I trailed off. He backed away, still grinning, before turning around and walking in the direction of the exit. I stood still and watched his retreating form, sighing wistfully as I found that his backside seemed just as perfect as the front.

"Okay, you can stop staring now," Edward snapped, wrenching his keys from his pocket. "Let's go."

I rolled my eyes but followed after him, next to Jake. I was pretty sure I _loved _flying now.

*

"God dammit," Edward hissed, twirling around in circles. We'd been searching for his car for about ten minutes to no avail. "He said he parked it in _three G_, yet, here we are, in three G and I see no fucking Volvo!"

"Give me your keys," I sighed, holding my hand out.

"What the hell good will that do?" he snapped, though he still dropped the keys in my waiting palm. I rolled my eyes and closed my fingers around them before walking away from him and Jacob. I pressed the button on the alarm pad that would lock the doors, thus sounding a beep, repeatedly, and hadn't gotten more than fifteen feet away before tail lights flashed and the horn echoed loudly through the enclosed lot. I turned around and pointed to the car, staring blankly as Edward picked up my bag and walked towards the car with a scowl on his face, Jacob trudging along behind him. I hung the keys between my thumb and pointer finger, licking my lips with a bored expression on my face as he snatched them away, unlocking the doors and popping the trunk before throwing all of our bags in and shutting it.

"I call back seat," Jacob said, walking towards the passenger side door.

"Perfect," I muttered, following behind him and pausing as he pushed up the front seat and climbed in. Who _did_ that; called the _back seat_?

After Jacob was situated, I pushed the seat back and climbed in, closing the door and buckling myself in.

"You're welcome, by the way," I scoffed as Edward reversed out of the parking space.

"For _what_?"

"For finding your fucking car!" I shouted. He was being a real bitch and I didn't appreciate it.

"It's not some huge fucking accomplishment," he retorted, rolling his eyes as he started forward, towards the exit.

"Do we need to go to the hospital?" I asked seriously.

"For what?" he said, though this time in confusion.

"So a doctor can surgically remove the stick that's lodged up your _ass_," I scowled. "Seriously, what the fuck is your problem?"

"I'm tired," he muttered, staring straight ahead.

"Well that's not my fucking fault, so stop taking it out on me you dick," I snapped, glaring at his profile. His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared slightly as he silently maneuvered his way to the front, paid, and drove out of the parking garage. I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest, turning to look out the window.

This was going to be a long fucking drive.

The car was filled with awkward and tense silence for the first thirty minutes of the ride. I continued staring out the window, sparing a few glances at Edward and getting annoyed all over again when his expression never changed.

"Why can't we be friends, why can't we be friends," I heard being softly sung from the backseat. I turned to look at Jacob over my shoulder and saw him slouching in the back seat, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out the windows. I couldn't help myself as I erupted into laughter, and the corner of Jacob's mouth lifted into his own smile as he continued to sing. He was a moron, but he was _my_ moron, and he knew exactly when the ice needed to be broken and _how_. I rolled my eyes, turning around to face forward with a sigh as my laughter died down. I glanced at Edward from my peripherals and saw that he'd visibly relaxed, a small smirk playing on his mouth.

I cleared my throat and ran my palms over my jeans before bending down to get my phone from my bag. I pressed number two and hit send, calling my Mom on speed dial to let her know I arrived safely. I could see Edward reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, and I figured he was probably calling his parents as well.

"Hello?" my Mom answered sleepily.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted. "I just wanted to let you know that I got into Seattle okay."

"S'good, baby," she replied through a yawn. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're on our way to Forks right now," I answered. "I'll let you get back to sleep. I have to call Dad, anyway."

"Okay. Love you," she sighed.

"I love you too. Bye."

I hung up as Edward started talking into his phone, greeting his Mom and telling her he was on his way home. I hit number five and pressed send, putting the phone to my ear and waiting for Charlie to answer.

"Hello?" he said gruffly.

"Hey, Dad."

"Bella?"

Every time. I'd really need to ask if he fathered any children I didn't know about.

"Yeah, it's me," I replied.

"Are you here?" he asked, his tone lightening up slightly.

"I'm in the car right now, but we just left the airport. I just wanted to let you know we're on our way."

"Oh, okay then. I'll see you in a few hours," he said. "Tell Edward I said not to speed. I have friends all over the state."

"Okay, Dad," I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'll tell him. See you soon."

"Bye," he replied before hanging up. I smirked and glanced sideways at Edward, noting he was off the phone.

"My Dad said not to speed or he'll have you arrested."

"I knew it was a bad idea to make nice with the daughter of a cop," he mumbled, glancing at me briefly as he smirked slightly.

And just like that, the tension was gone.

*

Once Edward had stopped being a douche, we'd all been able to relax and try to enjoy the ride as much as we could, what with being confined to a plane then jumping straight into a car. Four hours after we'd left Seattle, we were pulling into the gravelly driveway of Billy Black's house—Jake had decided to stay with his Dad for the day and have Embry pick him up that night. As Edward slowed to a stop, I asked him if he wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes so I could go see Billy before heading home. He agreed as he popped the trunk and I jumped out, pulling the seat forward so Jacob could get out before sprinting to the front door. I knew it would be unlocked—it seemed that nobody in La Push locked their doors—and I turned the doorknob, pushing the door open and bursting in with a huge smile on my face.

Billy sat in his wheelchair, remote in hand, staring at the television with a bored expression. Upon my grand entrance, though, he looked towards the door, startled, before a grin spread across his face.

"Bella!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

"That's because she can't bear to part with me yet," Jacob said from behind me, stepping through the door and setting his bag down.

"Psh, whatever. I was sick of you ten minutes after you got to San Francisco," I joked, walking towards Billy with a grin. "I'm only here 'cos I missed your Dad."

With that, I bent down and wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders, and he chuckled as he rubbed my back gently. I stepped back as he grasped my forearms, beaming up at me.

"You look good, Bella," he nodded in appraisal. "You look older."

"Ugh, don't say that," I groaned with a small smirk. "Besides, compared to your behemoth son, I still look like I'm ten."

"S'not my fault your growth is stunted," he shrugged, walking behind Billy and grasping his shoulders affectionately.

"My growth is _not_ stunted, you are just a mutant. If that DSL liquid from the Comcast commercials was real, I'd be convinced you were injected with it."

He rolled his eyes and smirked before sitting on the couch, getting comfortable.

"Okay, I should go. My ride is waiting outside for me," I sighed, turning towards the door. "You better have said 'thank you', Jacob."

"I _did_," he grumbled, and I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "I did!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"Uh huh. Well, I'll be back again this week, Billy," I smiled, hugging him once more before walking over to the couch and collapsing on Jacob's lap. "Call me later," I demanded, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

"'Kay," he agreed, wrapping his arms around my waist and squeezing. I climbed off of him and ruffled his hair, told both men I loved them and waved before walking out the door, closing it behind me. I hurried down the porch steps and back to Edward's car.

"Sorry," I apologized after I opened the door and climbed in. "Was I long?"

"Nah," he replied, watching me close the door and put my seat belt on before backing up and turning around to start towards Forks. "It's all good."

We drove down the road, towards the 110 highway in comfortable silence. I stared out the window as we passed house after house of people I'd spent my summers and every other major holiday with, and I smiled softly. It was indescribably uplifting to know that, just for this week, I'd be able to properly reminisce some of the best times of my life with the people who played major roles in my fondest memories.

"So how long has it been since you've been here?" Edward asked, breaking the silence.

"About two years," I answered immediately.

"Why so long?"

That was a good question. I turned my gaze forward, staring at the road in front of us as we turned onto the highway.

"I think it was subconsciously me just being stubborn," I admitted. "I'd been forced to come here every summer from eight to seventeen and, I mean, I love my Dad, and I made awesome friends, but this wasn't exactly my idea of a vacation spot as a kid."

He chuckled and glanced at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "I can understand that."

"I have so much here, though," I continued. "It really shouldn't have mattered _where_ I was if I had almost everybody I needed around me."

He stayed quiet, understanding that I was talking more to myself than I was to him. We fell back into comfortable silence again, and I wondered what he was thinking. I almost asked him, but stopped myself; if he wanted to tell me, he would.

Not too long after, we were driving down the road to Charlie's house.

"It's a good thing you already know where he lives," I said with a smirk, "because I highly doubt I'd have been able to give you correct directions."

"When you've lived in a small town like this practically your whole life, you pretty much know where _everybody_ lives," he answered with a half grin. "It's come in handy many, many times too."

"I'm sure it has," I chuckled. "I'm sure you guys were horrible as kids. You probably gave my poor Dad high blood pressure from stress."

"Chief Swan loved us," he argued playfully. "He always took our side, even when he knew we were at fault. Speak of the devil..."

I glanced at him in confusion as we turned into the driveway, and he motioned forward with his chin. I turned my gaze in the direction of the small, two-story house that Charlie had been in since I was born and saw him standing awkwardly on the porch, his hands shoved deep inside his pockets. My heart swelled at the sight of him, and I'd unbuckled myself and opened the door before the car completely stopped. The second I could jump out without falling on my face, I did, and I ran straight towards the house, up the stairs and threw my arms around Charlie, sending him stumbling back slightly in surprise. His arms wrapped around me a few seconds later, and I smiled against his shoulder, closing my eyes. I never realized just how much I missed a person until I saw them again.

"Hey, Dad," I said softly.

"Hey, Bells," he replied just as soft, rubbing my back. This was a rare occasion, for Charlie to be so affectionate, and I savored every second of it before I reluctantly pulled away. He looked over my shoulder and cleared his throat, shoving his hands back in his pockets as he gruffly greeted Edward.

"Chief," he replied as he climbed up the steps and stopped next to me, bending down slightly before straightening up again. I looked down and saw that he'd brought my purse and suitcase up, and I thanked him quietly before crossing my arms over my chest and looking back to Charlie.

"Thank you for bringin' my girl home in one piece," he half-smiled at Edward.

"Did the best I could, sir. She doesn't always make it easy though," Edward replied with a grin, winking at me playfully. I rolled my eyes and smirked, shaking my head.

"Gets that from her Momma," Charlie sighed.

"Remind me _never_ to visit you in Phoenix then," Edward laughed, turning his gaze to me. "It's hard enough with one, but _two? _I'm not Superman."

"You sure seem to think so," I snorted.

"Funny," he said sarcastically. "Anyway, I'm gonna head on home. I'll talk to you later, Bella. Chief," he nodded.

"Bye, Edward," I smiled. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem," he grinned, waving as he jogged down the steps and to his car. I watched him pull out of the driveway and onto the street before turning towards Charlie and smiling.

"I'll take your bag up to your room," he offered, and I picked up my purse as he grabbed my suitcase and followed him into the house.

It hadn't changed at all since I'd been here last, from the yellow paint in the kitchen to the position of the furniture in the living room. Even _my_ room hadn't changed, and while it was endearing, it also made me wonder if there were underlying reasons for it. He showed me where the towels were before leaving me to unpack in peace, not that it took terribly long. Unlike my mother, Charlie never hovered; it was one of his many qualities I absolutely _adored_. I headed back downstairs after I finished and made my way to the kitchen as my stomach grumbled. I opened the fridge and, surprise, there was barely any food in there.

"You know I can't cook," he voiced from the entryway, leaning against the wall.

"No, but I can. I'll go to the store tomorrow and get some things. You could use a home-cooked meal," I smiled, shutting the door and leaning back against the kitchen counter.

"You don't have to do that, Bells," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"I want to," I insisted. "I hardly ever get to cook in San Francisco. The kitchen is way too small."

"Well...we could go to the diner for some lunch, if you want."

"Sure," I nodded. "That sounds good."

He went to grab his keys to the cruiser—_ugh, _how had I forgotten about the cruiser?—before ushering me out of the door, locking it behind him. We made small talk on the drive, conversing about school, work, our lives in general. He said Billy had called him right after I'd left the house to let him know I was on my way and then he'd gone outside to wait. I couldn't help the huge grin that spread across my face, knowing that he'd stood outside that entire time waiting for me to get there; that he was _that _excited about me coming. It also made me feel a bit guilty, though, for waiting so long to visit him.

"I wish I could have gotten the week off," he said apologetically as we sat in the diner, our food just being placed in front of us.

"Don't worry about it," I dismissed, grabbing the ketchup bottle for my burger and fries. "I'll be fine by myself. I have books, and Jake and the guys are hardly any distance away from us. Plus, Edward is by himself, so we'll hang out sometime this week."

"The Cullen's went out of town, right?" he asked, cutting his steak.

"Mmhm," I hummed. "To Chicago."

"Why didn't Edward go?" he questioned.

"I don't know," I shrugged, shoving a steak fry into my mouth. "I guess he just didn't want to."

"I wonder why the McCarty's weren't with him," he murmured. "Do you know them too?"

"Emmett and Alice? Yeah," I nodded. "You remember Rosalie?"

"The blond?"

"Yup," I replied, and he nodded. "She's been dating Emmett. Her twin brother, Jasper—he's my friend too—is dating Alice, but he's also Edward and Emmett's roommate."

"Sounds like a cult," he smirked, shaking his head. I laughed loudly and nodded in agreement.

"Pretty much."

We talked throughout the rest of lunch before Charlie paid the bill and we headed back to the house. He said he was going to go do some yard work before disappearing into the back yard, so I made myself comfortable on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV. I found an episode of the Golden Girls—I loved that show. My Mom and I watched it all the time when I was a kid, though I never understood half of what they were talking about until I was a teenager—and was laughing hysterically at one of Dorothy's trademark sarcastic remarks, when I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I plucked it out and glanced at the caller ID, raising my eyebrow at the screen before hitting the answer button.

"Miss me already?" I teased, stretching out my legs across the couch seats.

"How much do you love me?" he replied, and I raised an eyebrow. That hardly sounded like the start of a conversation I'd enjoy having.

"Not at all. What do you want?"

"Not cool, Bella," he sighed. "Completely unnecessary."

"Uh huh. What do you want, Edward?" I repeated.

"I have to go back to Seattle on Monday," he answered, sounding slightly agitated.

"What the hell for?" I questioned.

"My Mom failed to mention that she'd scheduled me an eye doctor appointment Monday afternoon until I happened to see it on the calendar and called her about it."

"Bummer," I said. "Why exactly are you calling me about this?"

"I wanted to know if you would be interested in accompanying me," he responded. "We could hang out in the city afterward."

"Hmm..."

"It's somethin' to do," he insisted.

I looked up, contemplating the offer. Charlie would be working all day—maybe even later than expected, and, while it'd be nice to sit around and do nothing for a change, I knew I'd end up getting bored and bugging everybody I could think of. Besides, I'd never _really_ gotten a chance to explore Seattle, other than the airport. It would be nice to go out and see everything with a friend, not to mention somebody who was at least somewhat familiar with the surroundings and what there was to do.

"Okay," I answered finally, "I'm in."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I agreed, nodding.

"Okay then. Sweet. Well, my appointment is at one, so I wanna be on the road by eight-thirty."

"Ugh, okay. I'll be ready by...?" I trailed off questioningly.

"Eight-fifteen, I'll be at your door."

"Alrighty. Talk to you later."

"Yup, bye," he said before hanging up. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it with a raised eyebrow.

"You're welcome, Fuckward," I muttered, rolling my eyes. A throat cleared and I looked up, wide-eyed, before grinning sheepishly at Charlie. Shit. I hadn't even heard him come in. "Sorry."

He sighed and came over to the couch, sitting down on the opposite side of me.

"I'm going to Seattle on Monday," I told him, tossing my phone back and forth between my hands. "If that's okay," I added hurriedly.

"With who?" he questioned.

"Edward."

Silence. I glanced sideways at him, but he stared at the coffee table with furrowed eyebrows and slightly puckered lips.

"Dad?" I prodded. "Everything okay?"

He sniffed then cleared his throat, sparing a quick glance in my direction before going back to staring at the table.

"Bella," he started, and I internally groaned. I didn't have to be around him twenty-four hours a day to know that tone. "I know...I know you're in college now, and you're twenty years old—fully capable of making your own decisions, but, as your father, I need to ask if you and Edward are..."

He trailed off and I stared at him expectantly with raised eyebrows.

"If Edward and I are...?" I repeated, urging him to continue.

"You know..._dating_," he mumbled. I snorted loudly, visibly startling him as he looked at me in alarm. Covering my mouth with my hands to muffle my laughter, I simply shook my head furiously until I'd calmed down enough to speak.

"No, Dad," I chuckled. "Edward I are _not_ dating. No," I stressed, still shaking my head slightly.

"It's okay if you are," he pressed, though he'd obviously relaxed at my immediate rebuttal. "He's a good kid."

"I know he is," I said honestly, "but we're just friends."

He seemed to finally accept that before turning his attention to the TV.

"What are you watching?"

"Golden Girls," I replied, turning my head towards the screen again.

"And that's my cue to leave."

He heaved himself up off the seat and around the back of the couch before heading into the yard again. I chuckled and shook my head. Didn't he know? _Real_ men watched the Golden Girls.

~º~º~

I slept until ten the next morning, not even waking up throughout the night to go to the bathroom. I was utterly exhausted, and even when I _did_ get out of bed, I had to literally force myself up. I'd gone downstairs to ask Charlie if he'd be okay with sandwiches for lunch, since I wouldn't have time to go grocery shopping _and _get back to prepare lunch at a decent time. Instead, I found money on the counter top, next to a note that said he'd been called into work for a few hours. I'd told him last night that I'd have Jake take me to the store—there was no way I was driving that damn cruiser around town—so he left one-hundred dollars to buy whatever grocery supplies I wanted. I didn't even have to check to know that he still had all the pots and pans I'd demanded he buy when I used to visit in the summer, so I walked over to the phone hanging on the wall, picked up the receiver and punched in Jake's number.

I waited as it rang, leaning against the frame of the entry way. It finally went to voice mail and I frowned, hanging up before redialing. The same thing happened, though, and I cursed under my breath before slamming the receiver back into the cradle. He was probably still asleep.

Damn him for not getting a land line.

"Now what the hell am I supposed to do?" I sighed out loud, running a hand through my tangled hair. "Comb your hair," I muttered before making my way back up the stairs to my room. I grabbed my brush from my bag and began combing my hair slowly, getting the snarls out. I didn't want to go shopping in the afternoon. I was used to having mass amounts of people to deal with in grocery stores if I _didn't_ go earlier in the day, so getting it over with as soon as possible was a habit I couldn't break, regardless of the fact that this was _Forks_.

I grabbed my hair tie from the night stand and pulled my hair into a tight pony tail before picking up my phone and checking for any missed calls or messages. I had a text from Rosalie telling me to call her when I got the message, so I hit the send button and lifted it to my ear, walking towards the closet to look for something to wear.

"Hooker," she greeted.

"Skank," I replied. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you made it over to Nothingsville safely."

"I did," I smirked. "How's Texas?"

"Fine. It's in the seventies, so it's nice weather."

"Did Emmett meet the parents yet?" I questioned, rifling through some shirts before turning to look out the window in an attempt to estimate the weather. It was overcast, as was usual in Forks, and I sighed softly before grabbing a white undershirt, a navy blue, long-sleeve fitted shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Briefly, at the airport," she replied. "He and Alice are coming over for dinner Tuesday night."

"Are you nervous?" I asked, walking to my drawers and grabbing a bra and underwear before walking out of my room and to the bathroom.

"Terrified," she admitted. My eyes widened slightly in surprise. Rosalie, _scared_? It was unheard of.

"He's an awesome guy, Rose," I said in an attempt to placate her fears. "He's great for and _to_ you. There's no way your parents _aren't_ going to adore him."

"I know," she sighed. "You better be right, or I'll kick your ass."

"That's my girl," I chuckled, putting her on speaker phone and setting the phone on the sink before stripping down. There was a loud beep and the alert for a new text message popped up on the screen. "Hold on Rose, I have a new text."

I pulled on my underwear and hit the button to read it.

_**Hey pretty lady.**_

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion before looking further down the screen to see who the sender was. I nearly fell over—I accidentally shoved my phone into the sink as I gripped onto the counter; thank God the water wasn't running—when I read 'eleven D', and Rosalie immediately started questioning if I was alright upon hearing the ruckus.

"Sweet Jesus," I breathed, picking up my phone and hitting reply.

"_What_? What the hell is going on, Bella?" Rosalie demanded.

"Hold on," I mumbled, typing out a message to send back.

_**Hey yourself, handsome.**_

"Rosalie," I said seriously after I'd hit the send button. "I met the most..._gorgeous_ guy on the plane."

"Ooh, _do_ tell," she urged. I rehashed everything I could remember as I finished getting dressed: our conversations; how he looked; about the exchange of numbers, thus leading into the text message I'd just gotten from him.

"What do you think his motives are?" she asked.

"I don't think he _has_ any," I snorted. "He was stuck next to me on the plane, we got along...if anything, we'll probably just end up as friends."

"Give me a break, Bella," she chastised. "A guy does _not_ practically ask you on a date then _kiss your hand_ if he has no motives."

"Well, whatever." I rolled my eyes and decided to change the subject. "I have to go grocery shopping, but my Dad left and I can't get a hold of Jake so he can take me."

"Call Edward," she suggested. My phone beeped with a new text message again, and I grinned before telling Rosalie to hang on a minute once more.

_**Oh, I'm handsome now? Lucky me. ;)**_

I giggled—yes, I fucking _giggled._ Ugh—and hit reply, typing on the keypad quickly.

_**Give me a break. You know you're hot**_.

"Okay," I said, sending the message before taking her off speaker phone and bringing the phone to my ear.

"Did you just giggle?" she asked in amusement.

"Shut up," I mumbled, feeling my face turn red. "_Anyway_, I don't want to bug Edward," I said, smoothing my hair out and leaning against the sink.

"He'll be fine with it."

"How do _you_ know?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Just _call_ him," she sighed, sounding slightly agitated. I rolled my eyes and agreed before hanging up. I suppose he _was_ my only option, if I wanted to get to the store by noon. I scrolled through my call log as I walked back to my room until his name popped up and hit send, biting on my bottom lip as I listened to the ringing.

"Hello?" he answered. Well, at least he sounded like he was awake.

"Hey," I greeted, sitting down in the rocking chair that sat in one of the corners near the window.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Not much," I replied. "Are you busy?"

"It's barely ten-thirty. What would I be busy with?" he chuckled.

"I don't _know_," I huffed. "You could have been spankin' the monkey."

He barked out a laugh and I flinched, pulling the phone away from my ear. Jesus, he was as loud as Emmett sometimes.

"If that were the case, I _probably_ wouldn't have answered the phone," he said through his laughter.

"Exactly," I insisted. "'Probably' is not 'definitely'."

"Uh huh. Really, though. What's up?"

"Would you be terribly bothered if I asked you to take me to the thrifty mart?" I asked, biting my bottom lip and raising my eyebrows. "I wouldn't as, but my Dad had to go to the station and I can't get a hold of Jake, and—"

"It's fine, Bella," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I need to grab a few things, too. How long do you need to get ready?"

"I'm pretty much done," I admitted, "so whenever you're ready."

"I'll be there in about ten, fifteen minutes then."

"Okay, thanks Edward," I said appreciatively.

"Don't worry about it. See you in a few."

I said good bye before hanging up and making my way back into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Jace text messaged me again, telling me it was good to know that I thought he was hot. I rolled my eyes and told him I was going grocery shopping, so I'd talk to him later.

I decided not to even worry about make-up and went back to my room, grabbing a pair of socks from the drawer and sitting on the bed to pull them on. It would have been easier to just wear my flip flops, but given the way the weather looked to be, and from what I knew of Forks, it could potentially rain at any given moment. I grabbed my white Converse and laced them up, then grabbed a gray, fitted zip-up hoodie from my closet, just in case before shoving my phone into my purse and heading towards the door. As I was walking out of my room, I remembered that I'd packed the hoodie Edward had lent me before walking me home yesterday morning, and I grabbed it from the closet then made my way downstairs to wait.

Edward knocked on the door within five minutes, and I grabbed the money off of the counter along with the spare keys Charlie had left me before heading through the door, closing and locking it behind me.

"I hope you don't mind being in grocery stores for an undefined amount of time," I joked, climbing into the car and shutting the door.

"Only if you promise to make me dinner one night," he grinned crookedly.

"Deal," I nodded, buckling myself in as he started the car and backed out of the driveway.

*

I walked through the aisles, pushing the cart along slowly as I glanced around at the shelves. Edward had gone off to grab a few things of his own, and even though the store wasn't exactly huge, I hadn't even crossed him since we split off. I probably should have made a list, or at least a menu of what I wanted to make so I at least _knew_ what I needed to get. Alas, I hadn't, so I resorted to scoping out everything in the store, hoping that something would catch my attention and strike me as appealing. So far, all I had were some of the ingredients for lasagna.

I rounded the corner with a sigh, deciding to go check out the meats for a better idea of what to make, when the front of another cart appeared at the opening of the aisle. I abruptly stopped, so as not to crash into the cart, and barely missed it by a fraction of an inch.

"Sorry," a male voice said. "I didn't see you."

I looked up and saw a blond-haired guy grinning sheepishly at me before hurriedly pushing the cart out of my way.

"It's okay," I chuckled, shaking my head. "At least it wasn't a full-on collision, eh?"

"Yeah, good thing," he winked before raking his eyes down my body slowly. I immediately stopped laughing and stared blankly at him. Really? He couldn't have tried to be a _bit_ more subtle about it?

"Okay then," I muttered before pushing my cart forward and turning to the left. I walked slowly, looking at each of the meats. I grabbed a few steaks, some hamburger, and a roast before turning away.

I saw blondie again at the end of the meat aisle. And then the frozen foods, and the produce, and canned goods. Finally, in the dairy aisle, I'd had enough. It was just my luck, though, that he picked that moment to come directly towards me with a look on his face that I didn't like one bit.

It was the look that said, 'I'm going to talk to you'.

"So we meet again," he smirked. I blinked a few times—did he think I was a fucking moron, and that I hadn't noticed him practically _stalking_ me around the grocery store?

"Uh...yeah," I said blandly, staring at him in disinterest.

"Might as well introduce myself, then," he continued, sticking out his hand. "I'm Mike Newton."

My eyes widened and the sirens in my head went off immediately.

_Shit_. Where the _fuck_ was Edward when I needed him?

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**End Notes: **Have I mentioned how awesome you guys are, and how much I love you? No? Well, I do! Thank you so much, guys. Hope you enjoyed. Review and head over to the forum to discuss--link is on the homepage. And follow me on Twitter! That link is on the homepage, too.


	18. Chapter 17: Speedo Ads & Midnight Plans

**Chapter Notes: **Sigh. You guys amaze me, fr srs. Over 120 reviews on the last chapter. I love you all like whoa.

Thanks again to Missy for being willing to beta my story for me, and for all her awesome suggestions to make the chapters flow better. You rock my socks. :) Thanks to my wifey for just being my wife. hahaha. Sigh. I laugh hysterically whenever I talk to her. We are still super intense, even with the distance. Possibly moreso _because_ of it. Heck yes. LOLOLOL longlegsnate. I'm looking at the pictures again right now. And of course, thanks to my lovah for correcting me on certain parts of this chapter to make it more realistic. She always listens to me bitch and moan about not being able to write and lets me send her every little bit I have finished, then proceeds to gush about it and make me all flustered. I love you. :)

Okay, enough rambling. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** What I own: boobz! And Jace. :D  
What I do not own: Twilight characters/affiliates and all that crap. You know.

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Chapter Song: Ride - The Vines

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_-E-_

I was standing in one of the frozen food aisles, trying to make a decision on what kind of Hot Pockets and pizza I wanted, when I heard that whiny, unmistakable voice. I almost wanted to laugh out loud as I heard his pathetic attempt to hit on a girl—I assumed it was a girl, at least. Then I heard her voice, and I stiffened immediately. It took everything I had not to run around the corner and punch his stupid fucking face in, but I reasoned that maybe, for some unimaginable reason, Bella would appreciate his attempts. Hell, maybe she'd even like him. So instead I inched closer to the end of the aisle, straining my neck to listen for any sign of distress in her voice.

"I'm Mike Newton," he said, in what I figured he assumed was his alluring voice, and I snorted. He and Lauren should definitely meet one of these days. I didn't hear a response and smirked, peering around the corner. Newton's back was to me so I ventured into the aisle slowly, biting back a laugh at Bella's unimpressed facial expression.

"What's your name?" he pressed, leaning in closer to her. She furrowed her eyebrows and leaned back slightly, and I watched on in amusement. I could honestly say I now understood and _appreciated _the hilarity Bella saw in the Jessica situation, and I enjoyed even more the fact that she couldn't say a damn thing to me about finding humor in her pain. I stepped closer, folding my arms over my chest, and waited for her to look up and spot me.

"Um...Be—Izzy," she corrected, shaking her head slightly. "My name is Izzy. Izzy Swan."

"Swan? As in—"

"Chief Swan? Yup," she smiled brightly. "He's my Dad."

"Oh, right, Isabella," he nodded.

"No," she snapped, "_Izzy_."

"Right, sorry. That's cool though. Chief Swan and I go way back," he bragged, and I raised an eyebrow as I tried desperately not to snort out loud. "We're pretty tight."

I shook my head, giving up. I couldn't listen to this crap any longer, so I started walking towards them at a normal pace. Newton didn't pay attention to the sound of approaching footsteps, but Bella did. When she saw me, a shimmer of hope flashed in her eyes before being overshadowed by desperation. She'd helped me with Jessica, which _also_ helped me with Lauren. The least I could do was help her with that noob, Newton.

"There you are!" I exclaimed, startling him. He spun around before narrowing his eyes at me immediately after, straightening up to make himself look more manly as I strode past him, directly to Bella. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, I uh...got side-tracked," she replied, staring up at me with thankful eyes as I stopped in front of her.

"It's okay, baby," I grinned, turning to Newton. "Oh. Hey, man. I didn't see you there."

"You interrupted a private conversation between me and—"

"I see you've met my girlfriend," I cut him off, looking back down at Bella and wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her close to me.

"_You're_ dating _him_?" he asked Bella incredulously.

"Guilty," she giggled, giving him a cheesy smile. "We met at school. And to think; we were so close to each other for ten years, yet never crossed paths. We could have been high school sweet hearts, married with a child right now."

She sighed wistfully, looking up as she turned towards me, wrapping both of her arms around my waist and clasping her hands together. I smiled down at her, but gave her a pointed look that said she was laying it on a bit too thick and needed to chill the fuck out. She chuckled and laid her head against my chest, and I kissed her hair before beaming at the moron in front of us who was just standing there, gaping.

"Well, we gotta finish shopping and get home. She's cooking me dinner," I said. "Seriously, is this girl _not_ perfect?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, scratching his head. "I'll see you later. Nice to meet you, Izzy."

He pushed his cart past us and walked away hurriedly. I turned around, waving even though he couldn't see.

"See ya, noob—I mean, Newton!" I shouted. Bella buried her face in my chest as her shoulders shook with laughter.

"Oh, my God. Emmett was _not_ exaggerating," she groaned, though it was muffled since her face was pressed against my shirt.

"He's a fucking douche," I scoffed. "I hate him."

"At least now if he asks about me, he won't get anything because he'll call me 'Izzy' and my Dad will look at him like he's a moron," she chuckled, dropping her arms from around my waist.

"Which he is," I added, dropping my arm as well and scratching my head.

"Thanks for the save."

"I owed you one for Jessica," I smirked, shrugging my shoulders.

"Mmm...yeah, that's true," she grinned. "Come on, I still have shopping to do."

I was reminded of my abandoned cart and quickly went around the corner to retrieve it before joining her again. Apparently I couldn't leave her alone for a second without idiots seeking her out, so we finished the rest of our shopping together before heading up to one of the checkout stands. We paid for our groceries then started out the doors, back towards the car.

"So, you like to cook?" I asked, fishing car keys out of my pocket before pressing the button on the alarm pad to pop the trunk.

"Yeah," she shrugged, slowing to a stop then rounding the side of her cart. "I always used to cook for my Dad when I was here," she continued as we transferred our bags to the trunk. "That was basically the only time he ever got a proper meal."

I chuckled and helped her load the rest of her bags into the car before pushing the carts into each other and taking them back to the front. I saw Mike being his usual, creepy self and watching Bella as I walked back to the car. She was bent over, rummaging through her bags for something in the still-open trunk, and I glared harshly at Mike as I passed by before turning my gaze towards Bella. Clearly he didn't take hints very well, and we'd have to up the ante.

I approached the car again, just as she'd reached up to close the trunk. Immediately after it slammed shut I pressed myself against her, wrapping my arms around her from the back.

"Don't freak out," I said into her ear as she stiffened slightly, gripping my forearms and turning her head to the side. "Newton is _still_ watching you like a hawk."

"Ugh, see?" she sighed heavily. "I _told _you I get all the creepy guys."

I chuckled and skimmed the tip of my nose across her neck, taking a deep breath and licking my lips before pressing them against the naked skin. I felt her relax in my arms—I took that as a sign that I wasn't about to get punched in the nuts for violating her—and began trailing soft kisses along the side of her neck, all the way to the back then down the side again. She shivered, tilting her head to the side slightly, and I smirked, noticing the goosebumps that formed across her skin.

Even Bella Swan couldn't resist this mouth.

I sighed and leaned back a little, turning my head over my shoulder. I couldn't spot Fag Newton, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.

"I don't see him anywhere," I murmured, squinting my eyes as I scanned the parking lot. I let go of Bella and backed away, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "Sorry, he was just pissing me off. I figured that was a very...coupley thing to do..."

"Yeah, no, it's fine," she replied, waving a hand in the air dismissively as she cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," I grinned crookedly. That resulted in her rolling her eyes and asking me if I was planning on unlocking the doors any time before Christmas.

I drove back to her house and parked next to where the cruiser normally sat before shutting the car off and popping the trunk. She went to unlock her front door and I climbed out of the seat, rounding the back of the car and grabbing a few of her bags in each hand, before making my way to the front of the house.

"You don't have to do that," she insisted, reaching for the bags in my hand when I reached the porch.

"Dude, chill out," I laughed, pulling the bags away from her reach. "How many times do I have to tell you that my Mom raised me right?"

"I'm just not used to guys our age acting like that!" she exclaimed.

"And it's a damn shame," I said, a serious expression on my face. "Do you know how much ass I could get _just_ from this action alone?" I lifted up the bags for emphasis.

"I have a ballpark figure," she joked. "You're not gettin' any of this, though, so it's irrelevant at this point in time."

"Prude," I accused with a grin, making my way through the open door.

It only took us four trips, collectively, to get all of her bags inside. Once they were all piled on the counter, I offered to help her put them away.

"You have no idea where everything goes," she huffed, smacking my hands away. "It'll only take longer if I have to point you in the right direction."

I rolled my eyes, but had to agree with her logic. Instead, I stood off to the side and talked with her as she flitted about the kitchen. Even though this was hardly her residence, she seemed to remember exactly where everything went. That could have been because her Dad, as she'd previously stated, never cooked, so she had her own arrangement of where the groceries were supposed to go.

Not even five minutes after she'd put the last item away, the door opened and Chief Swan walked through, hanging up his belt before turning to face the kitchen.

"Hey, Bells," he greeted with a small smile.

"Hey, Dad. Hungry?" she questioned.

"Starving," he admitted, patting his stomach.

"Sandwiches okay for lunch? I'm making steak and potatoes for dinner."

"Sounds great," he said. "How are you, Edward?"

"I'm good, Chief," I nodded. "How are you?"

"I'm all right," he replied. "And you can call me Charlie, son."

"No, I don't think I could," I chuckled. "I spent too much of my life calling you 'Chief'. That habit will never die."

He smirked and looked on at me in amusement before turning back to Bella. "I take it you went shopping, then?" he asked.

"Yup. I couldn't get a hold of Jake so Edward took me," she answered, nodding towards me before rummaging through the fridge.

"Oh, well that was nice of you," he said, turning his gaze to me.

"I had to pick up a few things of my own," I shrugged. "It was no big deal."

"Can I offer you some money for gas?" he asked, reaching for his pocket.

"No, no," I insisted, shaking my head. "Bella already offered and I turned her down. It's not a big deal, really."

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"Absolutely."

He nodded with a sigh before announcing that he was going to change, and headed upstairs. Bella grabbed some plates from a cabinet and asked if I wanted a sandwich too, but I declined. I wasn't too hungry. A beeping sound reverberated through the kitchen, and I instinctively checked my phone but saw nothing.

"I think that's you," I told her. She walked over to her purse that she'd laid on the table and rummaged through it before producing her phone. A huge smile spread across her face, and I raised a questioning eyebrow at her as she pressed furiously against the keypad. She set the phone on the counter once she was finished and went back to making the sandwiches.

"What was _that_ about?" I questioned.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up at me with raised eyebrows. "What was what about?"

"_That_," I stressed, pointing to her face. "The shit-eating grin you had when you read the text. Was it from lover boy on the plane?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I expected her typical, snarky rebuttal, but was instead met with silence. I stared at her curiously: Her pursed lips; the slight furrowing of her eyebrows. My eyes widened in shock.

"Dude, are you kidding me?" I asked incredulously.

"What?" she questioned innocently, though she didn't meet my gaze.

"That guy looked like one of those gay ass underwear models," I snorted. "I can't believe you gave him your number."

"Okay, first of all," she started, dropping the knife she was spreading mayonnaise with onto a plate and looking up at me in annoyance, "he is not a _model_. He is a grad student at SFSU. Don't get jealous because he's hot."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but she held up a finger to indicate she wasn't finished.

"Secondly," she continued, "you don't have a whole lot of room to talk. I guarantee you would be doing Speedo ads if you had accepted that lady's offer to be a model."

"Speedo ads?" I repeated. "What makes you think I wouldn't be doing underwear?"

"You don't have the body for it," she said with a smug smile.

"That's cold, Swan," I sighed, shaking my head. "Really cold."

She laughed heartily and continued making the sandwiches. When Chief Swan came downstairs, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeve, flannel shirt, I decided to go home and leave them to eat in peace, once again declining the offer to stay for lunch. Bella walked me to the door, thanking me again as I made my way onto the porch and down the steps. I waved over my shoulder as I hurried to my car before climbing in, starting the engine and heading home.

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. I sat at home watching TV, surfing the web or playing piano; just generally relaxing. Even though I was the only inhabitant of the house at the moment, I was extremely happy to just be _home_. There was no other feeling like it in the world.

I talked to Alice briefly that night before the phone call got overtaken by Emmett, announcing that Rosalie's mom was "smokin'," and that I "should get on that, since you like older women and all."

Never mind the fact that she was _married_. Idiot.

Finally, around 10 PM, I decided to turn in for the night and headed upstairs to my room. After changing and setting my alarm, I jumped into bed—seriously the most comfortable bed in history—pulled the covers up to my chin and passed the fuck out.

~º~º~

At 7:45 AM my alarm sounded throughout my room. I opened my eyes reluctantly, groaning softly as I reached over to turn the piece of shit off. I ran a hand down my face and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before sitting up, stretching, and climbing out of bed slowly. I needed to get moving if I was going to leave when I'd planned. I hadn't exactly allotted myself time to stand around in a sleepy haze by waking up fifteen minutes before I needed to be out the door and headed towards Bella's house. With that, I trudged towards my connecting bathroom, grabbing a towel from under the sink and turning on the water before stripping down and stepping into the shower.

I tried to make it as quick as possible, but the warmth of the streaming water made it difficult. I never understood how people figured that showers in the morning woke you up. If anything, they made me more sleepy. All things considered, I finished in a decent amount of time and turned the water off. After drying myself in the shower and wrapping the towel around my waist, I stepped out onto the bath mat before going over to the sink and brushing my teeth. After finishing, I lifted the end of my towel and wiped off my mouth before making my way into my room. I cursed under my breath as I looked at the clock blaring 8:08 AM in red. I highly doubted I'd be dressed and out the door in two minutes, so I reasoned I'd just have to speed to Bella's house.

Who was going to pull me over, her Dad? He wouldn't give me a ticket—he never had.

Just the same, I hurriedly walked over to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt with 'sorry, i can't **hear you** over the sound of how **AWESOME** i am' printed in white on the front. I dressed quickly, pulled on a pair of socks and my black Converse, and shrugged on a black zip-up hoodie before shoving my wallet and phone into my pockets and hurrying down the stairs.

I grabbed my keys off of the hall table on my way out, locking the door behind me before heading to my car. I backed out of the driveway as quickly as I could before zooming forward, glancing at the clock on the dashboard. It was 8:16 AM, but it wasn't like there'd be traffic in the area to slow me down.

At 8:21 I pulled up. Before I had even put the car in park, she was pulling the front door closed behind her and making her way towards the car. I smirked and watched her form as she rounded the passenger side before opening the door and climbing in.

"You're late," she said, buckling her seat belt and slamming the door shut as I put the car into reverse.

"Yes, thank you for making me aware of that. I never would have known otherwise," I retorted, raising an eyebrow in her direction before starting forward down the street. "Were you _that_ anxious to see me again that you waited by the door until I got here?" I teased.

"_No_, I was prepared to walk out the door five minutes ago, when you _said_ you'd be here."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, pulling up the center console and grabbing my iPod—I'd left it in the car after the trip back from the airport; it wasn't like anybody was going to steal it—before handing it over to her. "Tuneage?"

"You better not have shitty music on here," she smirked, taking the iPod from my hand and scrolling through it. I pressed the knob to turn the stereo on and waited for her to select something to play as I started down the 101.

"Oh man," she sighed, "I haven't listened to these guys in so long."

"Who?" I questioned, glancing at her briefly before turning my attention back to the road.

"Jimmy Eat World," she replied. "Okay, that's who we're listening to."

I nodded in agreement as _Bleed American_ started playing, tapping my fingers to the beat of the drums on the steering wheel.

"I had such a crush on Jim Adkins when I was younger," she said, bouncing her knee to the rhythm.

"_What_?" I asked incredulously. "I expected Justin Timberlake or something."

"There you go with JT again," she grinned. "I think you have a man-crush on him."

"Oh baby, oh baby," I replied monotonously. "Really though, Jim Adkins? He's totally not the type I would expect you to be attracted to."

"Well, I _do _defy expectation," she retorted. I rolled my eyes and smirked, shaking my head.

We listened to the rest of the album, occasionally belting out the lyrics horribly then laughing, and talked about random things. Once the last song played, she announced that she was putting it on shuffle. She gasped when the first song started, and I glanced at her curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"I love _Un Sospiro_," she gushed, a hand flying to her chest. "It's probably my favorite composition, besides Clair de Lune. I had no idea you listened to classical music."

"Of course I do. I've had to play enough of it. I had no idea _you_ listened to classical music," I challenged.

"You play piano?" she asked.

"Yup," I nodded. "My Mom taught me how to play when I was little. She said that even back then, she knew these babies would work all kinds of magic." I wiggled my fingers with a grin before gripping the steering wheel again.

"Ugh," she scoffed, smacking me in the arm. "You pig."

"Hey! _You're_ the one with your mind in the gutter," I pointed out through chuckles. "It's not _my_ fault you can't think of anything else around me."

"Shut up," she laughed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I actually played this song at my last recital," I continued.

"Wow," she breathed, raising her eyebrows. "This sounds like a hard song to play."

"It is," I agreed with a sigh. "I had to practice that shit for at _least_ three hours a day for two months, and I _still_ didn't get it perfect."

"Dude, it's a fucking huge deal to even learn that song at _all_," she stressed. "It doesn't need to be perfect."

"You obviously can't understand the inner turmoil of a musician," I joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Now shhh," she muttered, waving her hand in my face. "I want to hear this song."

She restarted it and we fell into silence, listening to the soft, soothing melody flow through the speakers; building in intensity and then abruptly silencing before smoothing back into a soft tone. I sighed as it ended. I missed playing and listening to piano much more than I'd realized.

Soon we were on the ferry, making our way up to the top to wander around and look at the view.

"I need to ask you a serious question," she started with a straight face. I furrowed my eyebrows in concern, wondering what the hell was so _serious _that she had ask me while we were on a _ferry_ instead of land.

"Okay," I said, staring at her expectantly.

"I need to know if..."

"If _what_? What's wrong, Bella?" I asked urgently. She was starting to worry me.

"...if you can point to the _exact_ location you passed out in when the 'morning sickness' mishap occurred."

I was already groaning, my face in my hands, before she even finished. Of course, she _would_ freak me out like that just to fuck with me about something that happened _years_ ago; something she hadn't even _witnessed_, at that.

It was only a five and a half mile ride back to land, and when we arrived in the area of my Optometrist's office twenty minutes later, it was barely past noon. Bella had spotted a pizza parlor directly across the street, and since neither of us had eaten anything yet and we still had a while to wait, we decided to park the car and head over there for some lunch.

"Now don't hold back this time, Swan," I teased. "I know you're reserved when it comes to eating pizza in front of me, but try and relax."

"Fuck off, Cullen," she smirked, walking through the open door of the parlor. "I mean, I know you're used to skinny ass bitches who don't eat anything, but clearly that is not the case with me."

"Okay, first of all," I started, "you're like...ten pounds. Secondly, I rather _enjoyed_ it. It was refreshing. I totally was _not_ kidding when I asked where you were my whole life."

"You're so full of shit," she said with a smirk, staring straight ahead and inching forward as the line moved slightly.

"I'm serious! I will never understand the purpose of girls barely eating in front of guys. I'm not an idiot. I've taken girls out to dinner, and I know damn well that when I dropped them off at home they stuffed their face."

She laughed loudly and threw her head back, startling some of the surrounding people, and I grinned, shaking my head.

"Why not just eat the damn meal in the first place?" I continued ranting. "It's free!"

"Because they're brainless bimbos who inhaled too many fumes from the ammonia that fried their hair," she responded. I snickered and briefly wondered if that were actually possible. It _would_ explain a lot.

"And apparently it's blasphemy to eat anything other than salad on a date," she continued. "I suppose that would explain why I never have one."

"Don't fret, Bella," I smirked, tugging on the end of her ponytail, which earned me a glare as she tightened it. "There's bound to be _someone_ who'll deal with your craziness."

"I appreciate that," she replied sarcastically.

"Maybe _lover boy_ will take you out," I scoffed, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms over my chest.

"For your information, _not_ that it's really any of your business," she quipped, "he already asked me out."

"What did you say?" I asked with a frown. Jesus, she'd just _met_ this guy and she was all over his junk.

"I said okay," she replied, as if it were the most obvious response in the world. "Why _wouldn't_ I?"

"He didn't waste any time, did he?" I scoffed.

"Don't be a bitch," she scolded, smacking me hard in the chest.

"_Ow!_" I yelped, immediately rubbing the spot she'd tortured. "That was completely unnecessary."

"Your remarks are unnecessary, but you still make them," she retorted. "Jace is funny, respectful, charming, witty, and _fucking_ gorgeous. Sitting next to him was fun. Of course I want to go out with him."

We stepped up to the register, as we were the next in line, and ordered, effectively halting our conversation temporarily. She paid with her debit card before I even had a chance to completely open my wallet, and I glared at her as I took the numbers from the cashier and moved away from the counter.

"Look," I started as we walked towards a table. "All I'm saying is that _maybe_ you should get to know this guy a little better before you fucking elope with him. He could be a total creep."

"And all _I'm_ saying is, I spent two hours next to this guy talking non-stop and getting to know him, and I'll get to know him more when we hang out. We're going for _coffee_, okay? He's not whisking me away to Paris. Why the hell do you even _care_ so much?" she demanded, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"I..."

Truthfully, I had no fucking idea why I cared so much, but regardless, it still unnerved me to no end. Maybe it was because I was sexually frustrated and tired of getting cock-blocked, and she was smooth sailing in a direct stream towards O-town with no foreseeable obstacles ahead. That seemed to be the most logical reason I could think of, but there was no way in hell I was going to tell her that, so instead I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, taking a seat next to her.

"You're right," I gave in reluctantly. "It's not my business. I'm just lookin' out for you, is all."

"I know," she muttered, glancing sideways at me as the corners of her mouth twitched. "I appreciate it."

Our numbers were called and I grabbed them off the table, taking them to the front and handing them over, before retrieving our slices. We ate quickly since it was already half past noon, and by twelve forty-five we were walking out the door and across the street.

We took the elevator up to the fourth floor and down the hall to Dr. Bursett's office. Bella immediately sat down and grabbed a magazine, and I went to the front to sign in before going back to occupy the seat next to her.

"Lookin' for your boyfriend?" I asked, peering at the magazine contents and seeing a huge picture of some guy in Armani underwear.

"Edward, is that _you_?" she asked loudly as she turned back a page, pointing to one of the models in the _gayest_ Dolce & Gabbana ad ever; six men practically feeling each other up. "What are you doing to that gu—"

"Okay! Okay," I surrendered, cutting her off as I cringed. "Touché."

She simply smiled and continued studying the magazine.

After a half an hour wait, I was called back to begin the seemingly never-ending process that was my bi-annual eye exam.

*

Forty-five minutes of torture later, I trudged back into the reception area with a scowl on my face and my file in hand. Bella looked up and over at that moment, spotting me, and smiled.

"All done?"

"_No_," I mumbled. "I have to pick out stupid frames."

"You need glasses?" she snorted, biting her lip and covering her mouth as she looked on at me in amusement.

"Shut up!" I barked, causing her to laugh more. "Come with me, I need your opinion on what makes me look like less of a douche."

She closed the magazine and tossed it onto one of the side tables before standing up and walking towards me, following me to the adjoining section where three Opticians were seated. The first available one, a woman named Jane, waved me over and I handed her my file. She instructed me to search through the frames lining the walls and I glanced around, completely clueless.

"You are absolutely useless, I swear," Bella muttered, pushing me back towards the chair. "Sit. I'll grab some."

"Less work for me," I shrugged, sitting down and watching her wander around the area in amusement.

"Girlfriend?" Jane asked, glancing curiously between Bella and me.

"Nah," I replied, shaking my head. "Just a friend."

She came back in a few minutes time with four different frames, depositing them on the desk carefully before going back in search of more. I glanced at all of them, not really being able to tell the difference, but picked up the first pair as Jane slid a mirror towards me.

"I look old," I stated, blinking rapidly before taking them off.

That was essentially what happened with every pair that Bella brought over. I scowled at her and told her she was apparently no more useful in this department than I was, to which she responded that I could shove it up my ass, and that I was biased because I didn't want the damn glasses anyway.

Couldn't argue that.

After about the tenth, or twelfth, or twentieth pair—I'd lost count rather quickly—we were _all_ exasperated.

"Why the fuck is this so hard?" I groaned. "Moreso, why is it _necessary_? I'm getting contacts."

"You still need to have a pair of frames, just in case," Jane said with a sigh. I grunted in response and looked up at Bella, but her attention was focused past me.

"What?" I questioned, but she ignored me. Instead, she walked around my chair and to a rack of glasses, staring at them for a solid two minutes, before grabbing a pair and walking quickly towards me. Wordlessly, she slid them on my face, pressing them back by the middle of the frames to ensure that they were on securely.

She tilted her head and bit her bottom lip, narrowing her eyes in concentration. After a few moments of her unwavering gaze, I began to squirm in my seat, slightly uncomfortable with her staring at me for so long. My eyes darted around the room a few times before finally meeting her gaze again. She stared at me for a few moments longer before smiling widely and nodding.

"Those are definitely the ones."

I sighed heavily as Jane told me to turn towards her and I obeyed, swiveling in my seat. She nodded in agreement and I looked in the mirror, raising an eyebrow. They were simple; black-rimmed and square framed, and I fleetingly wondered why the hell it took half a fucking century for her to pick these out.

"I still look stupid," I grumbled, scrunching up my nose and pushing the glasses up the bridge of my nose as they began sliding down. "Oh, great. I'm gonna be one of _those_ people. That's got to be the most universal nerd gesture ever."

"Hey, you'll thank me once you start getting all kinds of ass from these babies," Bella said, tapping the edge of the frames. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, pulling them off and handing them to Jane.

"Right, because all the ladies flock to men with glasses."

"Every girl secretly wants to have sex with a really hot nerd," she said seriously. I whipped my head towards her and stared at her incredulously.

"Did you just call me 'really hot'?"

Her eyes widened and her face flushed instantaneously as she opened her mouth, stammering over her words. I laughed loudly and hunched over in my seat as she still attempted to form a coherent rebuttal to no avail. As I waited for Jane to finish filling out the paperwork for me to take up front, I stood and stretched. With a wide grin on my face, I walked over to Bella and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Bella, it's _okay_. It's good that you've finally admitted how attracted you are to me," I joked.

"Fuck off," she huffed, shoving my hands off her shoulders and stepping away from me. "I was just trying to make you feel better."

"Riiiight. Like I'm gonna believe _that_ crap," I scoffed. Jane handed me my folder and I thanked her before walking to the reception desk to give them back my file and pay. Luckily my insurance covered the cost of the glasses as well as the contacts, so I only had to shell out money for the co-pay. I was handed a receipt, thanked the receptionist, and started towards the door behind Bella.

"So," I started with a grin, slinging my arm over her shoulders as we walked down the sidewalk towards the Volvo. "I demand that you call me 'really hot nerd' from now on. In fact, I'm going to change my name in your phone to 'really hot nerd' as soon as I can get a hold of that baby."

*

We spent the rest of the afternoon driving and walking around Seattle. We went to the top of the space needle which I absolutely _hated_ doing, but Bella seemed completely enthralled with the idea so I went along with it. She didn't look too well once we got up there, but I didn't make fun of her for fear that she'd open her mouth to smart off and puke all over me.

I jokingly tried to get her to go into the aquarium which earned me yet another smack to the chest—I was starting to think she just liked it rough. After voicing that thought, I narrowly missed a smack to my face, only furthering my suspicions. We went to the Pike Place Market and wandered around, stopping for coffee since, _hello_, the best coffee comes from Seattle. When it was nearing five o'clock, we decided we should probably get going and started the trip back to Forks.

Roughly four hours later—four hours of Bella's relentless teasing, asking me if I was _sure_ I could see the road clearly enough to drive, now that I was officially blind—I pulled up in front of Chief Swan's house, thanking her for coming with me and keeping me company all day. We bid each other good bye, and I waited until she was safely through the door before starting home.

I walked into the house and turned on the hall light before closing and locking the front door. I tossed my keys onto the hall table, peeling off my jacket as I made my way into the family room, my strides picking up in speed as I spotted the black baby grand in the corner. I slid onto the bench, lifting the cover and pushing it back before running my fingers over the keys as I always did before I began playing. Since the car ride to Seattle I'd been itching to play. On that note...

I stood up and lifted the top on the bench, rifling through all the sheet music inside before finding all the pages to the song I was set on perfecting. I closed the top and sat back down, arranging the sheets in order on the music stand before placing my fingers on the keys and beginning the song.

I was determined to get it _right_.

The next time I looked at the clock, it was almost midnight. I decided to give the song a rest for the night and go to bed. I could hardly keep my eyes open once I stopped focusing so intently on playing the piano, and I turned off the lights downstairs before heading up to my room, stripping, and collapsing into bed.

* * *

_-B-_

"So what exactly is it that you need to get?" I asked, looking over at Charlie as we walked through the door of Forks Outfitters Tuesday afternoon.

"I need some new fishing line, and Billy asked me to pick him up a specific reel," he said, stopping at the register and leaning against the counter. I nodded and stopped next to him, glancing around the store at all the supplies.

"Izzy!"

I froze, knowing there was only one person who would call me that. What. The. Fuck. Was he fucking _following_ me? I resisted the urge to turn around, punch him in the face, and run. Then I realized that I didn't actually _have_ to turn around because my name was not, in fact, _Izzy_. It may have been rude, but I hardly cared what his opinion of me was, and plus, I was not obligated to talk to douche bags.

"Chief Swan, hey!"

Well fuck. My cover was blown.

"Mike," my Dad nodded. Mike looked at me expectantly and Charlie cleared his throat. "Uh, this is my daughter, Be—"

"We've met," I cut him off. I knew at some point Mike would figure out that I went by Bella, but it sure as fuck didn't have to be today. Charlie raised a questioning eyebrow and I sighed. "At the grocery store," I explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, Mike here's parents own the store," he said, motioning towards Mike. That made me feel slightly better, knowing that he actually had a _reason_ to be here, and that reason had nothing to do with me.

"Can I help you find something, Chief?"

"Yes, actually, I need..."

I stopped paying attention, not really caring or understanding what he was droning on about. I vaguely registered them walking away, but I chose not to follow. I ran my hands down my face, yawning widely, before looking around the store once again. It wasn't small, but it wasn't huge either. It was just the right size for a town like Forks.

I spotted Charlie and Mike facing towards each other in front of the shelves mounted on the wall. Mike pointed something out on the top shelf, grabbed it, then handed it to Charlie before continuing to talk. Suddenly they both turned to face me—Mike looking hopeful and Charlie looking skeptical—before my Dad scratched the back of his head, shrugged his shoulders and walked off. The huge grin that spread across Mike's face terrified me, and I abruptly turned around and walked towards the back end of the store, attempting to busy myself with contraptions I knew nothing about.

"Hey Izzy," I heard behind me, and I whimpered softly. I quickly scanned the area, looking for an escape route before realizing I was cornered. Cursing under my breath, I slowly turned around, a forced smile on my mouth.

"What's up...Mike..." I responded in a dull tone.

"Not much," he said. "So listen, I was just talking to your Dad and he gave me permission to ask you—"

Oh _no_. No, nonononono, _please_, _**NO**_.

"Ask me what?" I questioned hurriedly, cutting him off. It could have been anything, right? I mean...he could have just wanted to know where I got my shoes, or needed a pen, regardless of the fact that there was no need to ask my Dad permission for either of those things. If there was justice in the world, _anything_ other than what I suspected would come out of his mouth.

"Well, I wanted to ask you if maybe you wanted to go see a movie with me sometime this week."

_What_ the _fuck_ was with him? Was he some distant relative of Eric Yorkie? Not only was I _clearly_ uninterested in Mike, but he was under the impression that I was dating _Edward Cullen_. Why the fuck would I take a step down from that—actually, it was more like a leap the length of a football field—to go out with him? He was out of his God damn mind.

"I'm not exactly available," I stressed, clenching my jaw.

"You can do so much better than Cullen," he stated, looking me up and down slowly.

_Are you __**fucking**__ kidding me right now?_

"And I suppose you're the upgrade?" I snorted, raising an eyebrow. Apparently he didn't sense the sarcasm in my statement because a smug grin spread across his lips and he nodded.

"So I've been told," he replied.

I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from shouting 'By _who_?!' because, from my personal knowledge, Edward dated Tanya pretty much the entirety of his high school career. Not to mention the fact that nobody in their right mind would get with Edward, then move on to Mike and think _he_ was better.

"Bells?"

I looked past him and saw my saving grace, in the form of my Dad, staring at me cautiously.

"Gotta go, Mikey," I said, patting his shoulder roughly before rushing past him and striding towards Charlie. "Please tell me you're finished," I pleaded, looking up at him. I didn't even care at that point that _Mikey_ might have caught on to my Dad calling me 'Bells'.

"No, not yet. Is everything okay?" he asked, looking past me then meeting my gaze again.

"Can you arrest someone for being too earnest?" I questioned. Charlie shook his head and chuckled, his eyes sparkling in amusement.

"No? How about for being a complete idiot?" I pressed, scowling slightly as I glanced over my shoulder. He placed his hand on my upper back and pulled me against his side, still shaking with laughter as we walked towards the front.

"Do you want to wait outside?" he asked, pausing next to the door.

"Anything to get me away from that guy," I said, looking longingly out the glass. He squeezed my shoulder briefly before releasing me, telling me he wouldn't be much longer, and I sprinted towards the door, pushing it open and sighing in relief as I felt the chilly air hit my face.

Stupid fucking Mike Newton. I really needed to figure out what the hell it was about me that attracted these winners so I could _stop doing it_. I was tired of being on the run from creeps and morons. I grabbed my phone from my pocket—there was only one person who would find the humor in what had just transpired—and opened a blank text before typing out the message and hitting send.

* * *

_-E-_

I laid across the couch, pressing the page button on the remote and looking for something interesting to pop up on the guide so that I wouldn't be so fucking bored. It was no use though. There was never _anything_ worthwhile on TV. I sighed heavily and tossed the remote to my side, digging my palms into my eyes when I heard my phone beep, signaling a text message. I looked around, trying to remember where I'd put my phone down, before spotting it on top of one of the shelves mounted on the wall. Heaving myself up, I trudged across the room and retrieved my phone then turned around, walking back to the couch and scratching the back of my head.

I plopped down on the cushion and opened the message, reading it with furrowed eyebrows.

_**Newton's at it again.**_

I immediately hit the send button, not even needing to look at the sender. I already knew who it was.

"Hello?" she answered.

"What do you mean, 'Newton's at it again'?" I asked skeptically.

"Just what I said," Bella replied. "Not only did he hone in on my _Dad_ to get permission to ask _me_ on a date, but he cornered me when he actually asked and then said he was a step up from you. According to other sources, apparently," she scoffed.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I said incredulously.

"That's what _I _said!"

"Um..." I blinked rapidly, shaking my head. I knew Newton was a fucking moron, but I had no idea he was _this_ stupid. "Okay, that's it."

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"That's _it_," I growled. "I'm tired of his dumb ass. Perhaps a little trip down memory lane will get the fucking point across."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have a ski mask?" I continued, ignoring her question.

"Why the fuck would I have a ski mask?" she snapped. "What the hell are you going on about?"

"Never mind," I dismissed. "I'll take care of it."

"_Edward, what the hell—"_

"Do you trust me?" I asked, cutting her off.

"Yes, but again, _what—_"

"Then don't worry about it. All I need you to do is _trust me_ and be on your porch at midnight, dressed in all black," I ordered, a grin slowly forming on my lips. "I have a plan."

* * *

**End Notes:** Semi-cliffie?! I know, I know. I'm horrible. Review and tell me how much you hate/love me, and head over to the forum and discuss. Linkage on my profile page. Follow me on twitter, too! :)


	19. Chapter 18: Dirty deeds & Dr Fuck Me

**Chapter Notes:** Slightly earlier post, just 'cos I hate waiting to post as much as you guys hate _waiting _for the post. :) Over 120 reviews again, guys. You never stop amazing me. I can't even put into words how much I adore you all, on the realz. I want to thank **barbarito** in particular, because she has taken the time as far back as I can remember to review every. single. chapter on BOTH sites this story is posted on. I think that warrants a shout out. Sorry I don't reply often enough; I suck.

I had a bit of a difficult time with this chapter, and I'm not too sure why, but I hope it ended up okay. It's not very eventful; more of a filler chapter with finer points...which brings me to something I want to address with you all.

I know you're anxious for them to get together, but please, _please _keep in mind that I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible. They're at a level where they're finally really good friends; they're still learning new things about each other all the time, but everything hasn't really been put into perspective yet. I swear to you that really, REALLY soon things will start to fall into place, and I'll throw you a bone. I know you're going to end up getting frustrated once something I have planned comes out, but please don't give up on me! It's all for a reason, I promise. :)

Whew. Okay, since that's taken care of, thanks to my newly acquired, nonetheless AMAZING, beta, Missy. Seriously, she's friggin' amazing. And, as always, thanks to my lovah for helping me throughout this chapter and giving me her opinions as she always does.

Are you guys reading 'Show and Don't Tell' by Brits23 yet? 'Cos you should be. And while you're at it, read Uncle E's POV too. Fucking hilarious. ALSO, the amazing **crimsonmarie**, whom I absolutely love and adore (I totes climb through her window every night and she loves that shit, even though I knock everything onto the floor), has started a new fic called _Pieces_ since her last story, _Stay_, is finished. Not that she needs the exposure, but go read it just the same. And she's up for a Shimmer Award and two Twilight Twin Awards, so vote for those too!

Just to remind y'all, Breaking Bella is up for the best UST Bellie. Voting opens on July 15th, so head over to the site and vote for your favorite (nominated) stories! Link is on my profile page.

One more thing, I promise; I'm not entirely sure if I'll have a chapter out next week. This next one (I'm hoping) is going to be preeeetty awesome, and I'll need time to write it out exactly how I envision it. I have a term paper that I need to research & complete this week, so just I'm not sure if I can pull it off. Keep an eye out, just the same. I may surprise myself. ;)

Okay, enough! Enjoy guys. xx

**Disclaimer: **What I own: A history textbook I'd like to throw into a flaming shithole, a neverending summer school class, and the characters you all dislike.  
What I do not own: The characters you all like.

* * *

Chapter Song: Stay Young - We The Kings

* * *

_-B-_

I had no idea what was going on. All I'd set out to do was have a good laugh when I sent the text to Edward, informing him of Mike's shenanigans. Yet here I was, standing on my porch in the cold, dark of midnight; all because I allegedly _trusted_ Edward. I'd never been a witness nor had I been a participant of his scheming, but remembering past stories I'd been told made me a little hesitant. I hadn't the faintest clue what wheels were turning in his mind, and I wished he'd given me some sort of clue as to what he had planned. Being instructed to deck myself out in black, head-to-toe, hardly put me at ease though.

The flash of headlights across my face brought me out of my thoughts and I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest as I walked down the steps, hurrying across the grass while peering up at the second floor to make sure Charlie hadn't been woken up and wasn't staring out the window. I climbed into the car quickly, shutting the door as quietly as I could manage as Edward pulled out of the driveway and back onto the street.

"Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on now?" I asked, buckling my seat belt.

"We're getting Newton back, that's what's going on," he replied, turning right onto another street. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Obviously I wasn't going to get anywhere with him until whatever he had planned actually came to fruition, which, by the looks of it, would be within the next sixty seconds since Edward was turning off onto a side street and slowing to a stop. He turned off the ignition and flicked on the overhead light. My eyes flitted over his form—he too was in black pants and a black zip-up. He reached behind him and grabbed something from the back seat before tossing it into my lap.

"Put those on," he instructed, pulling on a pair of black gloves. I looked down and saw my own pair of black gloves along with a ski mask. I raised a questioning eyebrow but complied, shoving my fingers into a glove.

"You remember the story Emmett told you? About grad night?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Yes...what about..." I trailed off hesitantly, my eyes widening along with his grin as I finally understood what was going on. "Edward, _no!_"

"Bella, _yes_," he mocked, reaching in the back seat again and retrieving a long, rectangular blue carton with 'STINKING BOMBS' printed in white along the side.

I skeptically glanced between the box and Edward before sighing. "What if his window isn't open?"

"I checked before I picked you up," he grinned, knowing I was caving. Images flashed through my mind: thirty-something stink bombs exploding on the dashboard; Mike's face once he came out in the morning and saw that, once again, his car smelled like rotten eggs. I was in hysterics before I even registered that I was laughing and I nodded furiously, covering my mouth with my hands.

"You in?" Edward chuckled, staring at me expectantly.

"I'm _so_ in," I agreed, squirming excitedly in my seat.

"Fuck yes!" he hissed. "Okay, I totally one-upped this one, though, and bought..." He reached in back again, grabbing a bag off the floor before plopping it in my lap and grinning anxiously. I peered inside and laughed harder, pulling out the various colors of windshield markers.

"Pink," I said, handing the rest over to him. "Definitely pink, all the way. But what the hell is—is this _flour_?"

"Uh huh," he replied, grabbing a purple marker and taking the bag from my lap. "And balloons, water bottles and toilet paper."

"Okay, I get the toilet paper and water, but what the hell is the point of the flour and balloons?" I asked in confusion as he pulled open the bag of balloons, tossing a few in my lap.

"You stick this," he said, pulling out a yellow funnel, "inside the balloon, pour some flour in with a little water, blow it up halfway and then tie it off. Smash it against the windows and it'll be _sick_ by the time he gets to it tomorrow."

"You have a horrible mind," I laughed, throwing my head back. "I love it."

We went to work on our balloons first. Edward had finished eight before I even had four; I was a slow worker, apparently, so I gave up. We took six boxes each of the stink bombs and stuffed them in our pockets carefully. After pulling the ski masks over our faces, we grabbed our water bottles and Edward grabbed the roll of toilet paper before we climbed out of the car and made our way across the street.

"He lives at the end of this street up here," he whispered, pointing straight ahead. "I just didn't want to park too close and risk him seeing the Volvo."

I nodded in agreement, commending his good thinking as we continued down the sidewalk, nearing the end of the block.

"There it is," he said, motioning towards an old, white, beat up Toyota Tercel. I snickered, immediately covering my mouth with my hands to muffle the sound.

"Clean ride," I managed to get out before erupting into another fit of giggles.

"Well, he _is_ a pimp," Edward scoffed quietly. "Okay, shh! We need to vandalize the windows first so we can run before the stench becomes unbearable."

Grabbing our markers we set to work, laughing as quietly as we could manage. It didn't take long for the windows to be filled with messages such as 'I heart peen', 'bareback only' and 'young, dumb, not so hung', along with flaccid dicks, hairy ball sacks, and every other crude thing we could think of.

"Beautiful," I sighed wistfully, capping the marker.

"No truer words have been spoken," he agreed, doing the same. "Okay, let's get to the _real _work."

Edward rounded the car to the passenger side, as I started on the toilet paper wads, and tossed his flour balloons at the car, snickering softly. I tossed a few random wet balls of toilet paper at him, only hitting him with the first since it took him off guard, and he threw the strays back at me. He missed all of them, though, and gave up before setting back to work. I busted two of my flour balloons against the windows before backing up and examining the work.

Nodding in approval, we decided to start on the main event—the stink bombs. We each unloaded two boxes—there were three vials per box—and looked up at each other, grinning widely.

"Do it as quickly as you can," he instructed. "It's not going to be the quietest thing in the world."

I nodded in agreement and, on his count, we both started chucking the vials at the dashboard through the four inches of open window. One after the other they exploded, making a brief but loud tinking sound. We'd managed to get in at least a whole box each before the smell seeped out, and I groaned as it hit my nose, cringing in disgust.

"I almost feel bad for him," I moaned, opening up a third box and grabbing the three vials from it.

"He's incessantly trying to get into your pants," Edward pointed out, turning his head as far away from the smell as possible as he continued to toss in vials. I paused in contemplation before nodding in agreement.

"He totally deserves this."

I had just started unpacking my fourth box when I heard a twig snap, and I froze, my head popping up to look at Edward. He had obviously heard it too, as his posture had visibly stiffened. The stupid mask was slightly blocking my vision, though, and since it was so damn dark outside I couldn't make out any shapes.

"It was probably a dog or something," he mumbled.

"Yeah," I agreed hesitantly before throwing the rest of the vials in. Obviously we were just extremely paranoid. I was almost one-hundred percent certain that what we were doing was highly illegal. I finished off the fourth and fifth box, and was unloading the sixth, before Edward spoke up.

"Done," he sighed. "Are you almost—"

"AHA!"

I gasped as I saw a porch light come on, and none other than Mike Newton standing on the lawn, wielding something in his hand. He raised it up a split-second later and my eyes widened in horror.

"Shit, _run!_" I hissed, immediately taking off. I heard a grunt and skidded to a stop, turning around to see that Mike had grabbed Edward by the arms, twisting them in an extremely uncomfortable looking position. Before I realized what I was doing, I was in front of Mike, reaching into my pocket and grasping my last flour balloon. I yanked it out of my pocket, lifted my hand, and smacked Mike across the face with it as hard as I could manage, effectively causing it to pop all over his face. It startled him enough to make him lose his grip on Edward, and we didn't waste any time before bolting down the street, grabbing each other's hands to stay together. I could hear Mike's commands for us to stop but fully ignored them. I wasn't _that_ stupid.

As we were rounding the corner I heard a clicking sound, and seconds later Edward stumbled in the road.

"Ow, _fuck_!" he shouted, regaining his balance and continuing his sprint towards the car, fishing his keys out of his pockets and pressing the button on the alarm pad to unlock the doors. I didn't have the oxygen to ask him if he was okay as he threw open the drivers side door and dove in. I simply rounded the back to the passenger door; jumping inside as he started the ignition and slamming the door shut before he sped down the street.

"What the hell happened?" I gasped, pulling off my mask and clutching my chest as I looked over at him in alarm.

"He fucking shot me!" Edward shouted, gripping the steering wheel. "He seriously fucking _shot_ me in the leg!"

"Oh, my God!" I exclaimed, horrified. "You have to go to the hospital!"

This was just supposed to be a harmless prank, and now my friend had been injured by a _gun shot _because I didn't like the fact that some stupid fucking guy was hitting on me. Tears prickled my eyes and I pursed my lips to keep in the loud sob bubbling in my throat. If I let it out, I'd completely come undone.

"Where are you going?" I whispered hoarsely.

"My house," he replied simply, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white. I stayed silent for the duration of the short ride to his house, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill over. He pulled into his garage and put the car in park before jumping out and turning a light on.

"Come on," he ordered, motioning towards the door to the side of him before locking up his car and going inside. I followed behind him and closed the door behind me, walking through a hall that opened up into a very lavish looking kitchen. I was hardly concerned with that though, as Edward pulled up his left pant leg to inspect his wound. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be. There wasn't even any _blood_; just a small, red welt, but that hardly made me feel any better.

"Stupid fucking Newton," he huffed, releasing his hold on the leg of his pants and running a hand through his hair. My lower lip quivered slightly, and I knew I was about to break.

"Who shoots perpetrators with a _bb_ gun?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Whatever. Anyway, do you want something to—"

"I'm so sorry!" I wailed, cutting him off as I lunged towards him and threw my arms around his neck. He stumbled back, hesitating as I cried into his chest, before wrapping his arms around me.

"Why are you sorry?" he chuckled, rubbing a hand up and down my back.

"This is all my fault," I pressed, releasing my grip on him and stepping away slightly as I sniffed.

"Come on," he sighed, "lets go sit down." Gripping my forearm gently, he lead us into through the archway and maneuvered his way to the couch with me in tow. He plopped onto the cushions and pulled me down to sit across his lap; I curled up, laying my head against his shoulder. "Now what are you going on about?"

"He _shot_ you," I stressed. "And it's all my fault."

"With a fucking _soft air_ gun," he laughed, gripping under my knee with one hand and rubbing my back with the other. "It's hardly fatal, and it's not your fault. This was my idea, remember?"

"Doesn't matter," I mumbled, and he sighed heavily before we fell into silence, sans my occasional sniffle.

"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you act like a _girl_," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Well, besides that other time you cried 'cos I slammed the door in your face."

"Shut up," I grunted, pounding my fist against his chest pathetically.

"And it went as quickly as it came," he joked, kissing my temple.

Har.

It was silent for a few minutes before he sighed and leaned his head back on the couch.

"You know what _I _think?" he said, and I hummed in response. "_I _think that you love me."

"No I don't," I denied, pursing my lips together as a smile spread across my lips. "I hate you."

"Mmm, nope. You don't. You love me."

"_No_," I argued, though it hardly seemed convincing since I started chuckling.

"_Yes_," he countered. "It's okay, Bella. You can admit it."

"Ugh, _fine_," I huffed. "Just don't get all big-headed about it."

"Say it," he demanded.

"Never."

"Come onnn," he whined. "Come _onnnnn_."

"Okay!" I shrieked. "I love you, asshole. Happy?"

"Extremely," he grinned cheekily. "I win."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, sighing heavily.

"Lighten up," he chuckled, squeezing my leg gently. "I love you too, crazy."

I sighed and shook my head, a smile playing on the corners of my mouth as we sat in silence. Suddenly, I felt Edward shaking underneath me and I sat up straight, staring at him in alarm. He still had his head leaned back, and his eyes were closed, but he had a huge smile on his face. His laughter got exponentially louder, and in no time he was leaning his forehead against my shoulder, the whole couch practically vibrating as he let out boisterous guffaws.

"What the _hell_ are you laughing at?" I demanded, staring at the top of his head quizzically.

"You...you ran—and the balloon—right in Newton's face," he spat through his laughter. "SPLAT!"

I immediately burst into hysterics along with him. "I can't believe I did that!" I exclaimed, throwing my head back. "You should have seen his _face_!"

Edward laughed even harder, if it were at all possible, nodding as I lifted my arm to wrap it around his shoulders. He looked up at me; his eyes in slits but still sparkling in amusement.

"We...are amazing," he said finally, sighing in contentment.

"True story," I agreed. "I'm not even the least bit tired. You?"

"Not at all. I suppose near-death experiences do that to you," he joked. I rolled my eyes and stood up—I'd somehow forgotten I was still on his lap—spotting a stereo in the entertainment center and making my way over to it.

"Lots of CDs," I said, trailing my index finger down the spines of the long racks of cases.

"Those are my parents'," he replied. "Beware. Most of them contain my Mom's crappy eighties music."

I smirked and moved to the other side, where another rack was filled, scanning the titles. Laughing, I plucked out the self-titled New Edition CD and turned around to face Edward.

"This," I started, waving the case in the air, "is good shit, my friend."

"No," he argued as I turned around, turning the stereo on and opening the CD changer slot, "it isn't."

"My Mom used to play these guys all the time when I was little," I added, looking at the track list on the back of the case as the CD loaded.

"Bella, please...I beg of you. Put the case down and turn off the stereo," he pleaded.

"No way," I laughed.

"Come on," he pressed. "I got shot for you."

"That was a low blow," I scowled, narrowing my eyes. "Ugh. Fine. But I'll get you back."

He grinned and shrugged before heaving himself off of the couch. "I'm starving. You?"

"Yeah," I nodded, patting my stomach. "I worked up an appetite running from that idiot."

I followed him through the archway leading into the kitchen. As he opened up the freezer, I walked over to the island and sat on one of the chairs perched behind it, swiveling side to side.

"Pizza," he started, his gaze never leaving the freezer, "or...yeah, pizza."

"Pizza is good," I chuckled.

He retrieved a box and tossed it on the island before walking over to the oven and turning it on. I glanced at the front to see what kind of pizza he'd grabbed and raised my eyebrows curiously.

"Four cheese...garlic crust?"

"Don't tell me you've never had it," he said incredulously. I shook my head slowly and he groaned, trudging his way over to the island to tear open the box. "It's amazing. You'll love it."

"I'll like it even more if it can cook within thirty seconds," I retorted as he carried the frozen pizza to the oven and stuck it directly on the rack.

"It's not _that_ fantastic," he sighed, closing the oven door. "Sorry."

I grumbled in response as he wiped his hands on his pants and declared that he had to take a piss. Always the gentleman. As he was relieving himself, I decided to get up and wander around a bit. I walked back into the living room, spotting the picture frames lining the mantle, and made a beeline for them. I'd only been subjected to Edward in all his beautiful glory. He couldn't have _always_ been that pretty.

The first picture I approached was Edward's senior picture. He was in a blue cap and gown with a yellow tassle and stole, a rolled up diploma in hand, and had that typical crooked grin on his face. I had to chuckle at that. Smug bastard. The next few looked to be from his actual graduation. He, Emmett, Alice and Tanya all had their arms around each other, huge smiles on their faces. It was contagious, just looking at them, and soon I was smiling like a moron.

Reasoning that if, for some reason, a random person were to see my face they'd probably think I was crazy, I shook my head slightly and moved on to the other pictures around the room. School pictures of Edward, Emmett, and Alice hung on the walls, and each one showed the infinitesimal changes in their features; signs of aging.

A picture of Edward's mom and dad was next; both of them in crisp, white shirts, gazing at each other with huge grins on their faces. A full family portrait hung diagonally down the wall. Edward was in the back, his chin resting on the tops of his parents' heads as they leaned in to each other. His arms were around their necks, each forearm laying across their chests, and each of them rested one of their hands on his wrist.

The resemblance was striking: the perfect mix of his mother's caramel colored hair and hazel eyes, and his father's blond hair and blue eyes; his father's nose; his mother's laughing eyes. And, of course, Edward and his father stared at the camera with matching crooked grins. I should have known.

"Hell_o_, Dr. Fuck Me," I breathed, licking my lips.

"Oh, God," Edward groaned from behind me. I whirled around, startled, and saw him staring at me with a grimace. "Really? 'Dr. Fuck Me'?"

I laughed loudly and waved a hand dismissively in the air before turning back around to stare at the picture.

"I have _got_ to meet your fine specimen of a father," I purred.

"I'm never gonna get away from it," he grumbled.

I smirked and moved on to the other pictures. A-_ha_! These were the ones I was waiting to see. I was slightly disappointed as I saw the infant and toddler pictures. He was absolutely beautiful. However, once I got to his school pictures—namely grades five to eight—I was cackling. He hardly looked amused as I pointed to his sixth grade picture, my shoulders shaking heavily from laughter, and made fun of his bowl cut, pudgy cheeks, and almost non-existent eyes as he smiled.

"Are you wearing a Bill Nye the Science Guy t-shirt?" I gasped.

"Oh, can it," he snapped. "I'm sure _your _school pictures weren't always perfection."

"Sure they were," I joked. "I was a beautiful child. No, some of mine were actually far worse than these, but they're all in Phoenix and _you _will never see them, so it doesn't matter."

"I think I'll have to brave a trip down there then," he grinned. I rolled my eyes and continued scanning the pictures.

"I just can't get over these," I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Hey, I grew out of my awkward-looking stage by the time I started high school," he defended. "I'll always be a nerd at heart though."

"Well, you're just lucky it happened when you were that young," I said.

"How come?"

"'Cos if you're really cute when you're young, you grow up ugly. Billy Meyers is a perfect example of that," I said matter-of-factly.

"And who is Billy Meyers?" Edward asked in amusement, motioning for me to follow him as he walked towards the archway leading into the front hall.

"This boy I had a huge crush on all throughout junior high," I sighed, walking behind him. "He was _so _cute back then, but he's hideous now."

There weren't too many pictures of them in the hall—most of them were nature paintings—but the few that were there were beautiful. One in particular caught my eye. It was a black and white photograph of Edward's dad laying shirtless, with his eyes closed; Edward, clad in only a diaper, lay curled up and sleeping, stomach-down, on his father's chest.

"That's my Mom's favorite," he said.

"I can see why," I murmured, stroking the frame gently with a small smile on my face. "It's beautiful."

"You're much more interested in the pictures around my house than most people," he chuckled.

"I love pictures," I shrugged. "That's all I used to do; take photographs. I was on the yearbook committee and I took photography every year in high school."

"Did you make portfolios and all that good stuff?" he grinned.

"Yup," I chuckled. "I was pretty good. I still have some of them online, I think."

"You'll have to show me one of these days," he replied, and I nodded in agreement. "Why'd you stop?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"I don't know," I shrugged, running my fingers along one of the wooden tables. "College. I didn't really think I'd have time for hobbies anymore, especially without knowing what the hell I want to do with my life."

"What does that matter? I'm not going to major in music, but I still play piano."

"Yeah, but...I don't know," I sighed. "I get too wrapped up in it. Literally _all_ I did was take pictures, all the time. I had to take my camera everywhere I went because I couldn't handle walking down the street and seeing the way the leaves fell, with the sun streaming through the trees in the most perfect position, without capturing it."

He stared at me intently for a few moments, tilting his head to the side, before speaking.

"When you're that passionate about something," he said, "you can't just give it up, Bella. You have to keep doing it."

"I guess," I mumbled. Truthfully, I wanted nothing more than to take pictures again. It brought me such intense joy; happiness that I hadn't known existed within one, insignificant, inanimate object. I couldn't let myself get distracted though. Not this late in the game. I had to figure out what I was even going to school for first; something that I wouldn't mind doing every day that would pay the bills, and then some. Then, maybe I could start photography up again.

"Speaking of hobbies," I started with a smirk, changing the subject. "I know you have a piano in here somewhere."

"In there," he said, pointing around the corner to another archway behind the staircase.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" I demanded. "Play for me."

"Not yet," he chuckled. "I promise I'll play for you one of these days. Don't worry."

"Fine," I grumbled. The timer went off in the kitchen and we both turned our heads towards the sound. He pushed himself off the wall and walked towards the archway on the opposite side of the room that lead into the kitchen. I followed behind, perching myself on one of the island chairs and resting my elbows on the counter, watching as he took the pizza out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove to cool.

"What do you want to drink?" he asked, grabbing two glasses out of a cabinet.

"Water," I replied.

"Ice?"

"Duh," I said. "Crushed, please."

"Damn straight," he grinned. After filling up both glasses with ice water, he put them down on the island in front of me and rummaged through a drawer for a pizza cutter. After slicing the pizza Edward grabbed two plates and placed a few squares on each before taking residence on the chair beside me and setting my plate down. I thanked him and sniffed at the pizza as he dug in. It smelled pretty good; hopefully it'd taste just as good. I picked up a hot square and sniffed at it again before biting into it, chewing slowly to analyze the flavors. I could taste a hint of garlic in the fluffy, yet crispy crust; mixed in with the four cheeses and the sauce, it was phenomenal.

"Mmmm," I hummed, a smile spreading across my face. "This _is _amazing."

"I told you," he replied through a mouthful.

"Dude, what's with us and eating pizza?" I laughed, wiping the back of my hand over my mouth. "Seriously, that's like all we eat together."

"Because pizza is awesome," he answered in an obvious tone. "Just like us."

I snorted and shook my head, but I had to agree. We _were_ pretty awesome.

We ate more pizza and talked about the most inane things for a while. When the clock read 2:45 AM, I told Edward I needed to get home. I'd talked to Jake earlier in the day and made plans to go down to the shop tomorrow—well, technically _today—_to visit with my boys. I didn't know what time I was getting picked up, but I needed to get all the sleep I could manage if I was going to spend the day with their rowdy asses. I made offers to help him clean up the kitchen, but he immediately disregarded them and ushered me towards the garage and to his car.

"Thank you," I said as he pulled in front of Charlie's house. He put the car in park, and turned off his headlights so they wouldn't flash through the house, then turned towards me in confusion.

"For what?"

"For tonight!" I exclaimed. "I had a lot of fun, even though you did get shot and I started crying."

He threw his head back and laughed, rolling his head lazily to the right to look at me. "All things considered, I think the mission was successful."

"Absolutely," I chuckled. "Okay, I better get inside. Thanks again, and I hope your leg feels better."

I reached across and hugged him, kissing his cheek with a loud smack, and pulled away with a grin before bidding him goodbye and climbing out of the car.

I snuck into the house as quietly as I could, hung my keys up on the hook in the kitchen, and made my way up the stairs slowly. I cringed as one of the steps creaked under my weight, pausing momentarily to make sure it was still silent in the house, then continued up the stairs and to my room. I closed the door gently, stripped out of my war clothes and pulled on pajamas, then climbed into bed, falling asleep to thoughts of Mike's rancid smelling, vandalized, 'clean' Tercel.

~º~º~

I woke up at 9:10 the next morning and went downstairs to get something to eat. Deciding on a bowl of Wheaties, I filled my bowl and traipsed into the living room. After turning on the TV and flipping through a few channels, I settled on Law & Order: SVU and curled up on the couch, shoveling spoonful after spoonful into my mouth. When the last commercial break came on, I went into the kitchen to deposit my bowl in the sink. The house phone started ringing and, figuring that no matter _who_ called, I'd probably know them, I answered without a second thought.

"'lo?"

"Busty!"

"Which one of you idiots am I talking to?" I grinned, leaning against the frame of the entryway.

"The best one, of course."

"Hey Sam," I chuckled. He was, surprisingly, the only one who answered my question in that manner.

"You better be up and ready to go, 'cos I'm on my way," he said.

"I'm up, but hardly ready. I'll leave the door unlocked, so just come in when you get here."

"Will do. See ya in a few, B."

We hung up and I sighed, unlocking the front door before making my way back to the living room to turn off the TV then heading upstairs. I stripped down and put on fresh underwear, a bra, and deodorant before walking to my closet and grabbing a light grey pair of yoga pants and a white, long-sleeve shirt. I pulled them on and made my way into the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and pull my hair up.

"Bells!" I heard from downstairs. "I'm here!"

"I'll be right down!" I yelled back, running across the hall and into my room to slip on a pair of flip flops. Fuck it. I'd be inside all day long; no need to worry about getting rained on. I grabbed my phone and shoved it in my purse, making sure my wallet was inside, before running out of the room and bounding down the stairs. Sam turned around just in time to catch me as I tackled him in a hug, sending him stumbling back a few steps.

"Hello to you too," he laughed, squeezing me and swaying side to side.

"Sorry," I grinned, releasing him from my grasp and backing away. "I'm just happy to see you."

"Clearly," he winked, a grin spreading across his face as well. "You can't ever take so long to come and visit again, understand?"

"Never again," I said, holding up my pinky for emphasis. He eyed me carefully before lifting his pinky, intertwining it with mine and giving it a firm shake.

"Good girl," he smirked before dropping my pinky and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "You ready?"

"As ready as I ever am to deal with you assholes for an entire day," I teased, feigning exasperation.

"Don't give me that," he said, closing the door behind him and hopping down the steps behind me. "You love us. We're like a big orgy—a love orgy."

"Okay, I don't know what the hell _you_ all have been doing when I'm not here," I started, "but I am not a part of _any_ alleged orgy."

Sam unlocked the car doors and laughed loudly as we climbed in and buckled up.

"I'm assuming I'll have to pinky swear again, numerous times, once we get there," I sighed, leaning my head back.

"You assume right," he said cheekily. "Welcome home, baby."

Metallica blared through the speakers immediately after he started the car, and I cringed slightly as he backed out of the driveway then zoomed down the street. I rummaged through my purse for my phone and saw I had a new text message.

_**Masturbating?**_

I laughed silently and hit reply, typing out my response before sending.

_**Yup, and Sam's sitting right here, witnessing it.**_

Welcome home, indeed.

*

The second I stepped foot inside the shop I was ambushed by the guys (sans Jake), all of them scolding me for taking so damn long to visit and, just as I'd suspected, demanding me to pinky swear I wouldn't take so long next time. I promised I would visit more often and set my bag down behind the front desk before going in search of Jake.

"Where is my bitch?" I demanded, looking around.

"Uh...in the back, I think," Embry said, stuffing a donut in his mouth.

"Thanks, Eaty," I replied.

"Mmhm," he hummed, preoccupied with another donut. I chuckled and walked into the garage.

"Baby!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls.

"Third car on the left," he shouted back, and I hurried over to the black Camaro, seeing his legs sticking out and bent at the knees from underneath the car.

"Hey, why—" I started, but he cut me off.

"Sorry, I'm trying to fix this damn exhaust pipe but it's being a bitch," he grumbled. "That's why I wasn't in there."

There was a loud clanking noise followed by a hiss of '_dammit_!' by Jacob, and I smirked.

"Clearly you need to take a break, so get out from under there and give me a hug, fool."

I heard a tool drop on the floor before he rolled out from under the car and sighed, wiping off his hands. He heaved himself upright and pushed off the floor, and I grinned as he unzipped his coveralls and pushed the top half down—he knew better than to get my shirt dirty—before enveloping me in a hug.

"Break it up!" I heard yelled, and I turned my head to look over my shoulder, still hugging Jake tightly.

"Fuck off, Paul. I won't get to do this for much longer," I huffed before burying my face into Jake's chest.

"You're coming back here in the summer," he said seriously. "Even if we have to physically drag your ass up here, you're coming."

"No arguments here," I mumbled, smiling. With a sigh I dropped my arms and stepped away from Jake, turning around to face the guys who stared back with amused faces. "I suppose I'm being put to work too?"

For years, if I was in the shop, I somehow got conned into answering the phones and playing receptionist. When I asked Sam why he didn't just hire one on permanently, he'd replied with, "Why should I when I can get you to do it for free?" When I pointed out that I wasn't always around to do it, he'd said they were all perfectly capable of pushing a few buttons and answering a phone. Clearly it'd worked out well for them, so there was no need for me to push the matter any further.

"I think we have another Einstein on our hands," Embry joked, tossing his oil-stained rag at me. I narrowly missed it and picked it up off the floor before chucking it at his head.

"Okay, assholes," Sam said with a laugh, "back to work. B, turn on the stereo!"

"Yes sir," I nodded before walking through the doorway leading into the reception area, leaving it open behind me. Sam had installed speakers throughout the shop so that music could always be heard no matter where they were. I turned on the stereo and a CD that was already inside loaded up. After pressing play I walked over to the front desk, sitting down in the chair behind the computer as the music started.

"_I won't deny it, I'm a straight rida, you don't wanna fuck with me..."_

"Oh, God," I laughed, dropping my forehead to my hands as I heard the guys shouting the lyrics. I looked back through the window to see them throwing up gangster signs as they walked to their respective cars.

Nothing was more humorous than seeing four over-sized Indian men rapping in coveralls.

The phone rang and I sighed, scooting the chair closer to the desk, before picking it up.

"La Push Auto Repair, this is Bella..."

And so it began. I answered phones, took messages and booked appointments, along with helping any walk-in's for the rest of the morning until half past noon. Embry came in and tossed his car keys on the desk, and I looked up at him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Lunch," he said simply with a grin before rummaging through one of the drawers and retrieving a menu, plopping it down in front of me.

"Are you offering me your keys for lunch?"

"I'm offering you my keys to go and _get_ lunch, hence the menu" he replied, sighing heavily and rolling his eyes playfully. "How the hell did you get into college?"

"I blew the Dean, naturally," I shrugged, and he barked out a laugh and picked up the phone, punching in numbers as I opened the menu for the Forks Coffee Shop.

He started spewing off the orders, and knowing how they ate I figured I had a good five minutes to decide on what I wanted to get.

"And..." he trailed off finally, smacking me lightly on the shoulder, and I pointed to what I wanted. "...a chicken pita," he said, scrunching up his nose and rolling his eyes, "with a side of fries."

He thanked the person on the other end and hung up, telling me it'd be done by the time I got there.

"How the hell am I supposed to pick up lunch?" I asked. "I don't know how the hell to get around here."

"GPS, baby," he smirked, nodding his head towards the exit. "Come on."

I grabbed the keys and followed him outside as he guided me to his truck. After unlocking the doors, he ushered me into the drivers seat and showed me how to work the GPS. He then programmed the destination, handed me forty dollars, and patted my back roughly, wishing me luck on my voyage with a cheeky grin before jogging back inside. With a sigh, I started the truck and pulled away from the shop, heading southeast, just as the GPS voice instructed me to.

Fifteen miles later I pulled up to the restaurant, turning off the engine and grabbing the money before heading inside. The order wasn't quite ready yet, so I sat at one of the bar stools and waited, fumbling with Embry's keys.

"Here ya go dear," a waitress said, setting three plastic bags filled with styrofoam containers in front of me. "That'll be thirty-two fifty."

I handed her the two twenty dollar bills and waited for the change before thanking her, grabbing the bags, and making my way back out to the truck. I was fairly certain I could remember how to get back to the shop, but I didn't want to chance it. The two towns may have been small, but it'd be just my luck that I'd somehow get lost. I reprogrammed the destination—thankfully the receipt had the address of the restaurant printed on it—and buckled up before making the fifteen mile drive back to the shop.

The second I walked in with the bags I was bombarded, and within minutes the containers were correctly distributed between us. After hanging the 'Out to Lunch' sign and locking the doors, we sat around the few tables that were set up in the waiting area and began eating.

"So Bells," Paul started, wiping the corner of his mouth with his finger. "What's goin' on in San Francisco? Any guys we need to come down there and beat to the ground?"

"Hardly," I huffed, rolling my eyes as I shoved a steak fry into my mouth.

"You are such a liar," Jake accused.

"What?" I asked incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"That dude on the plane was practically dry humping your leg," he scoffed, taking a swig from his Coke can as Embry laughed loudly. "And what about Edward?"

"What _about_ Edward?" I challenged, raising an eyebrow and barking at the guys to shut up as they cackled, crooning Edward's name immaturely.

"You were too wrapped up in whatshisface to notice," Jake answered, taking a bite of his burger and continuing through a stuffed mouth, "but I was next to his ass the whole flight, and he was brooding, straight up."

"So were you," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was different," he argued. " You killed my flow."

"Oh really?" I snorted. "How did I kill this alleged flow?"

"In case you hadn't noticed," he started, "I quite _enjoy_ scaring the piss out of the morons that try and talk to you. You wouldn't let me, so you killed it. Edward, on the other hand, was jealous. That much was obvious."

"Oh, what_ever_," I sighed in annoyance. "Just eat your lunch and shut the hell up."

"Why so defensive, Bells?" Sam teased. "Do you have a crush on Edward?"

"Go to hell," I snapped.

"I think that's a yes," Paul laughed.

I finished my lunch in silence, shooting daggers at Jake. Thanks to him, I was _never_ going to live this down. The phone rang a few times but nobody answered it. Rude? Maybe. Did we care? Hell no. At 1:30 we all got back to work, the stereo blaring Eazy E instead of Tupac. When I asked where the Biggie love was at, I got booed and shunned. Clearly they'd never gotten over the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, regardless of the fact that it'd started when we were _toddlers_.

The rest of the afternoon went much the same. I played receptionist while they worked hard on the cars in the garage, cracking jokes. One, or sometimes two, of the guys would come into the reception area to annoy me before going back into the garage, but it was all in good fun. When 5:00 rolled around, Sam declared that he was closing up shop an hour early so we could all head over to a barbeque at the Clearwater's. Harry Clearwater was a good friend of Charlie's _and _Billy's, so naturally my Dad would be attending and I'd just ride back home with him.

I went with Jake and Embry in the truck, excited as hell for the get-together. Spending my summers in Forks, I went to these things bi-weekly. It was great food, my friends were there, and we got to do whatever the hell we wanted without our parents being buzz kills. I received a warm welcome from everybody, as well as more scoldings for taking so long to get back up here. I apologized and gave the same speech as I had to the guys, and all was forgiven before we were ushered to the back yard for food.

As I sat around eating, talking, and laughing with the people I considered my extended family, I wondered why I'd been so hesitant about coming back. Sure, Forks wasn't an extravagant place to spend time in, but the best times of my life were spent here, with these people that I'd met because I had come to Forks. I'd missed out on precious time because of a subconscious stubbornness, but I reasoned it wouldn't happen anymore. I _was _going to visit more frequently, because I never felt more at home than I did surrounded by the people I was currently with.

We stayed until a little after 9 that night, then Charlie declared himself an old man who needed to get home and get ready for bed. After hugging everybody, and I mean _everybody_, goodbye, we drove back to the house in comfortable silence, a small smile playing on my face. Once we got home and inside, we settled on the couch and watched Forensic Files. A little after ten, Charlie said he was heading up to bed and kissed my forehead before going upstairs. I switched the TV to the Hallmark channel, knowing there'd be reruns of the Golden Girls for at least another hour. Snuggling into the couch with a happy smile, the episode where Dorothy's lawyer boyfriend decided to become a full-time clown instead played before me.

Once my eyes started drooping, I switched off the TV and decided to call it a night. I grabbed my purse from the bench near the doorway and took it upstairs with me, rifling through it for my phone so that I could plug it up. I saw that I had a few text messages and read through them as I walked into my room.

I had one from each of the guys, telling me how much they missed me and how glad they were that we spent the day together. I replied telling them I missed them too, and that I enjoyed it just as much before telling them I was going to bed and I loved them. The last was from Edward, requesting my presence for lunch tomorrow. Actually, his exact words were "You're coming over for lunch tomorrow." Just the same, I replied and agreed. Free food? I'm in. He responded immediately, telling me he didn't know what time it would be, so he'd let me know tomorrow, before bidding me good night.

I changed into a comfortable pair of pajama bottoms and kicked the pants I'd been wearing into the corner before hooking my phone up to the charger, climbing into bed, and falling into a deep sleep within minutes of my head hitting the pillow.

~º~º~

The next morning I woke at 9 and went downstairs to eat breakfast. Deciding on a bowl of fruit, I proceeded with my morning regimen of sitting in front of the TV while I ate. Afterward, I got up and took my bowl into the kitchen before deciding to clean up the house a bit. When the front rooms were satisfactory, I went back into the kitchen. I located the crock pot and set it on the counter, plugging it in, then went to the vegetable bowl. Grabbing some potatoes and onions, I moved to the counter and chopped them up, grabbed a bag of baby carrots and the thawed pot roast from the fridge, and dumped them all in the crock pot along with some water. After turning it on low heat and thinking how easy that dinner was to prepare, I made my way upstairs to shower.

I stayed under the hot stream of water for as long as possible after I'd washed my hair and body. It was incredibly relaxing and, ironically enough, Charlie's shower had amazing water pressure. I couldn't believe the break was almost over already. Just as I hadn't realized how much I missed my Dad and everybody I grew up with until I was with them, I didn't realize how much more I was _going _to miss them when I went back to San Francisco until it was almost time to leave. Suddenly feeling an overwhelming bout of depression, I sighed and shut off the water before grabbing my towel, drying off quickly, and trudging back to my room to get dressed.

It was almost 11:30 by the time I made my way back downstairs and plopped in front of the TV, turning it on once again and flipping through the channels. I had no idea what time Edward was planning on lunch, but I figured it was better to get dressed and be ready to go early rather than late. I settled on Home Improvement reruns and chuckled, remembering my obsession with Jonathon Taylor Thomas when I was a kid.

Halfway through the second episode my phone beeped, signaling a text message; it was from Edward.

_**Ready?**_

I hit the reply button and told him I was, and he responded by saying he was leaving his house and he'd be here in a few minutes. With a sigh, I turned off the TV and went upstairs to put on some socks and shoes. I didn't bother with my purse—there was no need for it—and I descended the steps and walked into the kitchen to check on the roast. It wouldn't be done for another six or seven hours since it was cooking on low heat, but the aroma was already filling the kitchen, and I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply with a small smile. I was the shit.

Two beeps of a horn snapped me out of my internal gloating, and I placed the lid back on the crock pot before grabbing the spare keys off the hook and heading out the door, closing and locking it behind me.

"Hey," I greeted as I climbed in, buckling my seat belt and closing the door.

"What's up?" he asked, pulling away from the house and onto the street.

"Nothing," I responded.

"Sounds exciting."

"Funny. Actually...I just realized that...I didn't know you cooked," I said, eyeing him skeptically. He smirked but stayed silent, keeping his eyes on the road.

"What?" I demanded. "What are you smiling about?"

"Am I not allowed to smile?" he retorted with a chuckle.

"Not like that," I replied.

"Like what?"

"Like..._that_!" I exclaimed, waving a hand towards his face. "Like you're hiding something. What are you trying to pull?"

"I'm not trying to pull anything, Bella," he said, smiling widely before glancing slyly at me.

"You lie like a rug."

"Clever," he laughed, shaking his head.

"Why is it that I never question your motives before I agree to something?" I mused.

"Because you love me, and I'm awesome," he quipped.

"No," I disagreed. "Clearly I don't pay enough attention to what you say when I humor you and agree."

"I guess I'm just that charming," he sighed. "It's a curse."

"Uh huh," I said, rolling my eyes as he pulled up to his house. "Honestly though. I know you have something up your sleeve. It's written all over your face, so spill."

"You'll see," he grinned, turning off the car and unbuckling himself before climbing out. I huffed but followed suit, trailing behind him towards the front door. He pushed it open and waited for me to walk through before shutting it, and I was immediately hit with the mouthwatering scent of Italian food. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply through my nose with a small smile.

"Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna come and eat?" Edward asked, and I opened my eyes to see him smirking at me.

"Hilarious," I replied sarcastically. "Show me to the food, asshole."

He chuckled and motioned for me to follow him as he turned to the right and walked through the entryway to the kitchen. There were plates and silverware on the island, and food was placed in a line down the middle of the table.

"Edward?" a female voice called out, and I whipped my head towards him in alarm.

"In the kitchen, Mom," he shouted back. I relaxed instantly, knowing that he was aware of another person in his house. No sooner had that happened, I tensed up again, my eyes widening in realization.

"Mom?" I croaked. "But I thought your—"

"Hello, sweetheart," his mother said, much closer than before. I turned towards her slowly, stunned by how _pretty _she was. The pictures hardly did her any justice. She smiled brilliantly as she walked towards me, her arms extended, and she enveloped me in a hug. "You must be Bella. I'm Esme, Edward's mother."

"Nice to meet you," I said softly, hugging her back awkwardly. At least she smelled good.

"They came back early," Edward explained as Esme detached herself from me, and I stared at him blankly. I never would have figured that out on my own.

"Yeah, I missed my baby," she cooed teasingly, lifting her hands to his cheeks and squishing them. He groaned and pulled back slightly, but had a huge smile on his face when she backed away, chuckling. He totally loved that shit. I was suddenly reminded why I was so alarmed in the first place and I swallowed harshly before turning to face Edward.

"You said _they_," I stressed, staring at him wide eyed. He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and I narrowed mine at him. I barely liked that look.

"Oh, yes," Esme started. "Carlisle is—"

"Right here," a deep voice finished, cutting her off. "And you have got to be Bella."

I turned my head slowly in the direction of the kitchen table and my breath hitched in my throat as I took in his form.

Hello Dr. Fuck Me, indeed. Hot _damn_.

* * *

**End Notes: **No cliffie this time! Applause, y/y? baha. Next chapter or so is going to be epiccc bb's. You just wait. Review and then head over to the Twilighted forum and mingle! Oh, and follow me on twitter if you haven't already. Linkage on my profile page.

* * *


	20. Ch 19: Interrogations & Menage a trois

**Chapter Notes:** You guys are awesome. Over 130 reviews on the last chapter. :)

I'm taking a few weeks to write the next chapter. I finish with school on the 30th of this month, which means I'll have a final to be studying for soon. The next chapter will be THE epic chapter, and it WILL be long. I need all the time I can get to work everything out and write it to the best of my abilities. That shit takes time. I'm not going to give you a precise date because I just don't know when I'll be finished with it, but I do know that it will be divided into two parts. I'm not going to post the first until the entire thing is completed, so please, just be patient and don't hound me with PM's about updating immediately. It's just not going to happen.

I gotta thank my hooker, **GiveUsAKiss413**, because this chapter has been a collaboration of our ideas, as will the next, so she gets credit for this shit as much as I do. Thanks to Missy for her fabulous beta-ing skills, and thanks for my lovah for all her awesome & funny notes, and for helping me with the title! **crimsonmarie **is the Cha to my Cha, and I adore her, even if she hadn't pimped me in her A/N last chapter ;) Speaking of, if any of you have pimped me/my story out, or seen it rec'd anywhere, let me know! Proper thanks are in order.

Enjoy! Oh, and go vote for the Bellie Awards! Voting is open until 8/5. :) xx

**Disclaimer: **What I own: An impatient mother who's yelling at me to get off the computer.  
What I do not own: Time to figure out something clever to write due to aforementioned, and Twilight.

* * *

_-E-_

I woke up mid-morning on Wednesday with a sleepy, shit-eating grin on my face. Groaning as I stretched, I mentally recounted the events of the previous night. Within seconds I was chortling, running my hands down my face. All I could think about was Bella slapping the shit out of Newton's face with a flour balloon. The entire prank was epic. That asshat may have gotten a cheap shot with his stupid bb gun, but it still didn't change the fact that his car smelled like rotten ass, the exterior was adorned with lumpy, and probably now hardened, flour, toilet paper wads, and oil-based obscenities. Still chuckling, I sat up and crawled out of bed, padding across the carpet to my bathroom for a shower.

After dressing in jeans and a plain white t-shirt, I went downstairs to get something to eat. I settled for frozen waffles and stuck them in the toaster to cook. After dropping them onto a plate and grabbing a fork, I chewed absently, as I stood behind the island, staring through the archway into the front room. I wanted to do something today; what, I didn't know. It wasn't as if there was a shitload _to _do, but I was determined to get out and enjoy _all_ of home; not just my house.

I looked out the kitchen window as I washed my plate and studied the sky. It was windy, but relatively clear, and as I dried the plate with a dish towel and put it back in the cabinet I decided to grab my board and skate around town. I headed upstairs and pulled on a pair of Vans, grabbing my skateboard from my closet along with a black and light grey checkered zip up; bounding down the stairs, shrugged it on. As I was searching for my keys I heard the doorbell ring. Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I made my way to the door with my board under my arm. Far as I could remember I hadn't been expecting anybody.

I shouldn't have been surprised to see Chief Swan standing on my doorstep, hands in his police jacket, and staring at me with a knowing, amused, yet slightly exasperated, look on his face. I couldn't help it. I immediately started laughing, running a hand down my face harshly as I stared back at him in disbelief.

"You're kidding me, right?" I managed. His lips twitched slightly and he shook his head.

"'Fraid not, son."

"Come on in," I sighed, opening the door more and stepping aside as he walked through. I closed the door once he was inside and set down my board, ushering him into the living room.

"I'm fairly certain you know why I'm here," he said as he sat on the couch.

"I might," I replied vaguely, plopping down next to him. "Humor me, Chief."

"Mike Newton called the police station bright and early this morning and said his car was vandalized again."

I clenched my jaw and willed myself to keep a straight face. Chief Swan wasn't stupid, but neither was I.

"That sucks," I said finally with a nod.

"Stink bombs again too," he added. "Very..ah.._inappropriate _things written on the windows this time though."

_Keep it together, Cullen. Don't think of the dicks._

"Tragic."

"Funny how it happened when you're back in town."

"It was never proven I was involved in that," I pointed out, turning my head to him. He gave me a pointed look and I sighed, scratching my jaw.

"Said there were _two_ people, though," he mused. "He caught one of 'em, but the other came back and slapped him, then they both got away."

I snorted extremely loud, not being able to reign my laughter in at that one. I could keep my composure about the number we'd done on his car, but I would never be able to think of Bella smacking him with the flour balloon without cracking up. Chief Swan's shoulders were shaking and he kept stroking his beard, no doubt to try and hide his laughter.

"Newton has bad luck," I shrugged. He cleared his throat and sniffed lightly, regaining his composure.

"Well, he said he shot one of 'em in the leg."

"That's not very nice."

"Mind showing me your leg, Edward?"

I paused for a moment, blinking at him. Was he serious? His raised eyebrow and fixed stare told me that he was, indeed, serious. With a heavy sigh I stood, pulled my left pant leg up to my knee and turned slightly so he could see my calf. He motioned for me to lift the other pant leg and I complied, turning the same way. Thank God I'd worn tube socks.

"Pull down the socks," he ordered.

Ah, fuck. I was busted.

"That's too much work," I said in a vain attempt to get out of it. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, staring at me expectantly. I groaned and threw my head back, admitting defeat.

"There has to be a law against shooting people with bb guns," I huffed. Fuck it. He already knew I'd done it; there was no need for a formal admittance.

"Not when you're on their property!" he exclaimed.

"Well _technically_ I wasn't on his property when he shot me," I countered. "I could sue."

"So could he."

"He doesn't know it was me," I scoffed. "Would you really rat me out like that, Chief?"

"Are you gonna tell me who else was involved?" he questioned.

"No, but I'll tell you whyit was done in the first place."

He eyed me carefully then said, "Fine, but I make no promises."

"Newton was practically stalking your daughter in the grocery store earlier in the week, and she was getting really uncomfortable, so I sort of...pretended to be her boyfriend so he'd leave her alone."

He raised his eyebrows but stayed silent, and I took that as a sign to continue.

"Well then she told me he asked you for permission to ask her on a date yesterday, and he _did_, and granted you had no idea of our little lie or whatever, but he _did_. He was under the impression that she was with me, yet he still backed her into a corner to ask her out!" I exclaimed with a frown.

He stared at me cautiously for a few moments before sighing and sitting forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Do you have any..._intentions_...with my daughter?" he asked seriously.

"No, but Newton sure did, and I'm pretty sure they were dishonorable," I reasoned. He grumbled in response, a small scowl on his face, before his expression smoothed out.

"She asked me if I could arrest him for being too eager," he said with a smirk. I chuckled and shook my head. Typical Bella. "Well, I guess I can't fault you, since you did it in my daughter's honor and all."

"I purposely strayed from anything that would cause permanent damage to the car when purchasing the supplies," I grinned. "I know; I'm so thoughtful."

"Somehow, I don't quite think that's the adjective the Newton's would use to describe you at the moment."

"I don't care," I scoffed. "If he's going to hassle my friends, he should pick days where I'm feeling more generous."

"You're somethin' else, kid," he chuckled, standing up and patting me roughly on the shoulder. "Well, I'll leave you to it then."

"What are you gonna tell him?" I asked, following him to the front hall.

"That you didn't have any marks," he shrugged. I snickered and patted him on the back as he opened the door.

"You're the best, Chief."

He grumbled in response and started out the door, but paused; his hand lingering on the door knob as he looked back at me over his shoulder.

"It was Jake, wasn't it?"

I started to ask _what_ was Jake, but I realized what he meant as I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it. I didn't want to outright lie and agree, but I was pretty positive he'd figure out Bella was my accomplice if I didn't. Somehow, I didn't think she'd be too thrilled with that. Instead, I tried my best to keep a neutral expression on my face.

"I figured," he said, pursing his lips and shaking his head before walking out the door. "Goodbye Edward. _Behave_."

"I will, sir," I chuckled, leaning against the door frame as he strode towards his cruiser. With a brief wave, he climbed in, started the engine and drove off, out of sight.

I'd just have to remember to tell Bella that she needed to inform Jake of his assumed involvement.

*

I was skating down Sherwood Avenue when _Drain You _by Nirvana sounded from inside my pocket. I knew who it was immediately. He'd introduced me to Nirvana, so naturally one of their songs would _always_ be his ring tone. Even if he wasn't my uncle, we would have had an eternal bond stemming from the band. I slowed down enough to hop off my board and reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone and hit the accept button.

"Hello?"

"Edward," his voice greeted.

"Hey Uncle Paul," I grinned, bending down to pick up my board, and walked down the sidewalk. "I was just about to call you guys. I'm on your side of town."

"What are you doin' over here?" he asked curiously.

"Skating," I replied, tucking my board against my side.

"Remembering the good ol' days, eh?" he chuckled.

"Something like that," I replied. "What's goin' on?"

"I was gonna head out to the driving range and I thought I'd see if you wanted to come with me."

"Yeah, sure," I agreed. My dad, me, Emmett and Uncle Paul used to go to the driving range any chance we could growing up, which wasn't terribly often. The closest one was over an hour away in Sequim, and none of us wanted to constantly make the drive back and forth. Seeing as how I was looking for any way to occupy my time, and I hadn't played in a _long_ time, it seemed like an omen that he'd called and offered.

"Where are you at? I'll pick you up and swing by your house so you can get your clubs."

I told him my location and said goodbye before hanging up and settling on the curb to wait. Barely five minutes later he pulled up to the curb in his silver Toyota Tacoma. I grabbed my board and stood up, wiping the back of my pants off, then opened the passenger door with a grin.

"Do you ever stop growing?" he chuckled as I slid into the seat and buckled up.

"I haven't grown since the last time I saw you," I said, standing my board up between my legs.

"Yes you have," he argued. "You resemble your dad more and more each time."

I smirked and rolled my eyes but didn't respond. Secretly, I hoped I _would _look like my dad when I got older, if only for the satisfaction of knowing my kids would have to deal with their girlfriends, both platonic and romantic, fawning over me just like I had to with my father; a consolation prize, if you will.

It didn't take long to get back to my house and, with a promise to be back out soon, I grabbed my board and hopped out of the truck. After unlocking the front door, I ran upstairs quickly to put my board back in my closet, grabbed my wallet from atop my dresser, then went back downstairs to the garage. My golf bag stood in the same place it always had, and after rifling through it to make sure I had everything I needed, I slung the strap over my shoulder and walked back into the house, closing and locking the garage door behind me. I checked my pockets for my keys as I walked through the kitchen and into the front hall. Feeling the uneven lump and hearing the brief clanking of metal, I nodded in satisfaction and opened the door, turned the bottom lock, and closed it behind me.

Uncle Paul was on the phone as I neared the truck and he motioned towards the cab as he spotted me. After lifting my golf bag and laying it next to his, I walked back to the passenger door, opening it just as he was hanging up. I climbed in and shut the door, buckling in, and drummed my hands on the dash board with a grin.

"All set?" he asked.

"Let's go," I nodded.

*

"Are you ready to get your butt kicked?" I teased, putting the cart in park before climbing out. Uncle Paul barked out a laugh and climbed off, rounding the back, and grabbed his golf bag. I followed suit and grabbed mine, slinging the strap over my shoulder.

"You don't stand a chance boy," he grinned. I rolled my eyes and followed him to the tee off, standing off to the side as he set his bag down and rifled through it for the right club.

"Easy there old man," I joked as he bent over to set the ball on a tee peg. "Don't want your back to go out."

"Keep on talkin, Edward. We'll see who's laughing after I kill you out there. I've had more practice."

"I've got my youth," I retorted. "I win."

He laughed heartily, reminding me where Emmett got his laugh from, then smirked. After practicing his swing for a few minutes, he got into position. Right before his club hit the ball, I yelled "FORE!" loudly, laughing hysterically as he dropped his club and ducked, covering his head with his hands. His ball flew _way_ off to the side from the hastiness of his swing, and after he realized that I'd only been messing with him, he scowled and glared at me, demanding another try.

For the next few holes after that he tried to get me back, but didn't succeed. He couldn't very well use the same tactic, and I wasn't easily distracted, much to his chagrin. He finally gave up once we reached the sixth hole and refocused on the game. He was ahead by three points, but we still had twelve holes to go and I was determined to kick his ass.

We were setting our bags back in the cart when I heard my name being called. I whirled around with furrowed eyebrows, looking side to side. I grinned as I spotted the source walking towards me, an arm thrown up in the air and his chin tilted up as he called out to me again.

"Justin," I greeted, gripping his hand firmly and slapping him on the back as he did the same to me. We'd gone to school together and, though I hadn't talked to him much since graduation, we'd hung out quite a bit and were fairly good friends.

"What's goin' on, man? I didn't know you were home," he said.

"Yeah, I've been home since Saturday," I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "I've just been chillin' out at home, hangin' out. Same shit as always."

"Yeah, same here. Did you hear about Newton's car? Somebody stink bombed it again and drew little dicks all over it," he snickered. I laughed loudly because I finally could; I knew all too well.

"Wonder what he did this time," he mused.

"Probably hit on somebody's girlfriend," I smirked.

"Yeah, he's dumb enough to do that," he grinned. "Anyway, I should get back to my old man. I just wanted to say hey."

I said goodbye and told him we'd talk soon before hopping into the cart and driving off to the next hole.

"What was so funny?" Uncle Paul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, Newton's idiot self," I replied with a small smile, shaking my head.

*

Four and a half hours later we were back in Forks, driving towards my house. He'd won by a landslide, but being the sore loser that I am, I chalked it all up to lack of practice, even as he teased me about my youth not being worth much when up against a self-proclaimed golf expert while snickering relentlessly. Clearly, I'd need to drag Emmett with me to a golf course in San Francisco so that when I came back home for summer vacation, I'd kick Uncle Paul's ass _hard_.

As we honed in on my house I noticed a car parked in the driveway and furrowed my eyebrows.

"Why is Aunt Di's car in the driveway?" I asked, recognizing the vehicle.

"Guess she wanted to see you," he replied with a shrug, though I didn't miss the slight twitch of his lips. I glanced at him skeptically, but didn't press the subject as he parked and turned the car off. I jumped out and slammed the door shut, rounding the side of the truck to grab my bag then starting towards the front door with Uncle Paul in tow. Fishing inside my pockets for my keys, I climbed up the steps, but I didn't even get a chance to put a key in the lock before the door flew open and arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I stumbled back in surprise before looking down quizzically at the light brown head of hair resting against my chest; a familiar scent filling my nostrils.

"Mom?" I asked in surprise, dropping my bag on the porch as she pulled back, placing her hands on my cheeks gently.

"Hi baby," she beamed.

"Mom!" I repeated, a huge grin spreading across my face as I scooped her into a tight hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, the convention got moved up and, since we'd already seen everything and everybody we'd planned to see in Chicago, we figured we might as well just head back home early to see you before you have to go back."

"They wanted to surprise you, and since Diane agreed to pick them up from the airport it was my duty to get you out of the house for a few hours," Uncle Paul added, clapping me on the back as I pulled away from my Mom, keeping an arm wound around her shoulder as one of hers held onto my waist. "Killing you in the game was just an extra reward," he added smugly. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, too happy to really give a shit about his teasing.

"Where's Dad?" I asked, peering inside the open door.

"Upstairs unpacking," she sighed. "You know how he is."

I grinned and nodded my head. My father, for some reason, absolutely _could not_ wait to unpack at a later time. No matter how tired he was after coming back home, or how late it was, he always, _always_ unpacked immediately.

After picking up my bag from the ground, I followed Mom inside and hurried to the garage to put it back in it's place before going back inside and to the living room.

"Carlisle," Mom shouted, "get down here and say hello to your son!"

Within a minute he was descending the stairs, dressed in a pair of khaki's and a grey sweater. He grinned and walked through the archway, making his way towards me and ruffling my hair before pulling me into hug.

"How are you, my boy?" he asked, patting my shoulder as he backed away.

"I'm good, Dad," I replied. He nodded and winked before making his way over to the couch to sit next to my Mom. I unzipped my jacked and peeled it off, throwing it across the back of the love seat and plopping down on it.

"You look thinner," my Mom accused, narrowing her eyes. "Are you eating enough at school?"

"Yes," I sighed, "and incredibly unhealthy food at that, so I think your vision is skewed."

"Speaking of vision," Dad smirked, "how'd your eye appointment go?"

I scowled and crossed my arms over my chest, sliding down on the cushions. "I had to get glasses," I grumbled. He laughed, earning a smack in the chest from my Mom, and I glared at him.

"I'm sure that was fun, picking out the frames," he grinned.

"I didn't have to do it," I shrugged. "Bella told me I was useless and chose them for me. I don't even know why I had to get them, since I ordered contacts."

"Bella?" he questioned.

"Chief Swan's daughter," I replied.

"Ah, yes," he nodded. "You gave her a ride from the airport, correct?"

"Yup," I agreed. "She went with me, and since she'd never really seen Seattle we hung out there for the rest of the afternoon."

"Did you two spend a lot of time together this week?" Mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. A lot more than I thought we would, actually," I admitted. She glanced at my Dad briefly before looking back at me with a small smile. I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes, leaning my head against the back of the love seat. I knew that look.

"We're not dating, Mom," I said. "Jeez, I don't know why everybody thinks we're together. All week long I've been interrogated about it. I can have friends that are girls."

"I didn't say anything," she defended, raising her hands in surrender.

"It was all over your face," I retorted. Dad chuckled and kissed her temple as she sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"How'd you meet her?" Aunt Di asked.

"We go to school together," I shrugged, "we have mutual friends—she's best friends with Rosalie," I added. "We were bound to meet up at some point."

I wasn't about to go into great detail about our rocky beginning, partly because it was much too long of a story to tell and partly because my Mom would kick my ass from here to Mississippi if she knew the way I'd treated Bella, justified or not. Luckily my explanation tied them all over, at least for now, and I was off the hook temporarily.

Uncle Paul and Aunt Di left within an hour, and for the rest of the evening my parents and I talked about how my classes were going, how my friends were, and if I was _really_ doing okay. We talked about Bella quite a bit. I figured if I dodged too many questions about her, Mom's suspicions would only be furthered and that was really the last thing I wanted to deal with. As it stood, it was only a matter of time until they heard about the fiasco with Newton's car, and more than likely he'd open his stupid mouth and say I went overboard because I thought he was hitting on my 'girlfriend'. It wouldn't have been the first time he tried to pull that shit. I _did _tell them about his stalking her for half the week, though, and they got a good laugh from that.

Finally, at around 10:30, my parents decided to call it a night. I was surprised they lasted as long as they did, what with the slight time change and undoubted jet lag. Mom kissed and hugged me goodnight before retreating upstairs, and Dad went into the kitchen to grab something to drink before doing the same. As he headed towards the stairs, he paused at the archway and turned back around to face me as I flipped through the TV channels.

"You should invite Bella over for lunch tomorrow," he said. "I'd like to meet her, and I'm sure your mother would too."

"Okay," I nodded. "I'll ask. I'm sure she'll agree."

"What does she like to eat?" he questioned.

"I...don't know," I admitted. "Every time we're together it seems like we're always eating pizza," I laughed. "Clearly she likes Italian food though."

"Okay," he nodded.

"I think I should warn you, though," I started with a smirk, "that Bella seems to be very...taken...with your looks."

"Really now?" he asked with a grin.

"Uh huh. You officially have another nickname to add to the list."

"Oh no," he groaned, though he was still smiling. "Is it as bad as all the others?"

"You tell me," I joked. "She calls you Dr. Fuck Me."

He immediately burst into laughter, leaning a hand against the wall for support as he hunched over slightly.

"That has got to be the most clever nickname for myself I've ever heard," he spat through chuckles. "Oh, dear. Thank you for giving me a good laugh."

Still chuckling, he bid me goodnight once more before retreating to the staircase and up to his room. I text messaged Bella and summoned her for lunch and, after she'd agreed—no questions asked, which was fine with me—I said goodnight and turned off the TV, deciding to head up to bed myself.

~º~º~

The entire drive to my house the next day Bella was questioning me, but I kept tight-lipped. The look on her face when she saw _why_ I'd invited her over would be well worth any beatings I'd receive for it. I practically ran into the house after I'd turned off the car, and I damn near ripped her arm out of its socket when she paused in the front hall, smelling the scent of the food from the kitchen. Bella Italia sold pre-packaged dishes that you could take home and bake, along with bread sticks and salads, so my Mom had gone to Port Angeles to pick it up.

"Edward?" my Mom called out once we'd moved into the kitchen. It took all I had to keep my composure as Bella whipped her head towards me in alarm.

"In the kitchen, Mom!" I shouted. She walked in a few moments later and went directly to Bella, enveloping her in a hug. I explained that they came back early, to which she gave me a 'no fucking shit' look.

"Yeah, I missed my baby," my Mom grinned, squishing my cheeks in her hands. I groaned and pulled away but I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Even though it was slightly embarrassing when she did that in front of people, I missed the hell out of her when I was at school, so I could deal with it.

"You said _they_," Bella said. I turned to her and smirked as she stared back at me, pure terror etched across her face.

"Oh, yes, Carlisle is—"

"Right here," my Dad said, walking into the kitchen. "And you have got to be Bella."

"Uh...I, um...y—yeah," she sputtered. My grin widened exponentially and I laughed silently, biting my lip to keep from making any noise.

"I'm Carlisle," he continued, opening his arms to hug her. Her eyes grew the size of saucers as he wrapped his arms around her back gently. "It's nice to meet you. Edward's told us a great deal about you."

"I...um...t—thanks?" she said, fumbling with her words before squinting her eyes shut briefly as they pulled away from each other. "I—I mean, it's nice to meet you too."

He smiled at her and guided her towards the table with a hand on her back, pulling out her chair as he questioned her about her vacation. Mom asked me to set the table while she got the drinks and I agreed, grabbing the plates, silverware, and napkins off the island and setting them on each placemat. Mom took a seat next to my Dad and I sat across from her, next to Bella. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she stared at my Dad, her mouth slightly ajar.

"Excessive drool and Manicotti don't really mix well," I whispered, leaning over so that I was speaking directly into her ear. She twitched slightly and shut her mouth, swallowing, and I sat upright in my seat with a smirk.

After the lids were taken off the pans, we served ourselves. I dug in greedily after setting my plate back down, humming in appreciation as I chewed.

"Wow," Bella said, "this is _really _good."

"It's Bella Italia, and it owns Olive Garden," I replied smugly. She rolled her eyes but didn't disagree.

"So Bella," my Mom started, "how long have you been at San Francisco State?"

"I went there right out of high school," Bella replied, "so this is my second year."

"Oh, same as Edward then," Mom mused. "What made you decide to go there?"

I tilted my head and glanced at Bella curiously. I'd never actually asked her _why_ she went to SFSU, so I was intrigued.

"Well, it kind of happened by accident, actually," she chuckled, taking a sip of water. "My mom and step-dad planned a trip to San Francisco to see a Giants game at the beginning of my Senior year, and they dragged me along. We got lost on the way to the stadium, passed the front of the campus, and I was just sort of...taken with it from what I saw, I guess. After the game I asked if we could go and walk around and, after getting wrong directions from about six people, we finally made it back. I was completely sold the second I stepped foot on the grounds."

"So you just made the Fall application deadline then," my Dad said with raised eyebrows. Bella smiled and nodded in response. They continued to question her about what she was studying at the school, her life back in Phoenix and all that boring crap, but she took it in stride.

"I assume you know Emmett and Alice too?" Mom asked.

"Yeah," Bella nodded. "Emmett's girlfriend is actually one of my best friends."

"She's friends with Jasper too," I said, and my parents hummed in acknowledgement.

"Is that how you two met?" Dad asked. I choked on the food that I'd been in the process of swallowing and took a gulp of water. I shouldn't have put it past them to try and pry it out of Bella when I wouldn't give them much of anything.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked in amusement. After I'd calmed down, I chuckled and nodded, running a hand down my face. "Actually, we met...at the front desk of his dorm, I believe," she continued.

"Yeah. If looks could kill..." I trailed off jokingly, nudging her with my elbow. She smirked and rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Maybe if you had shown up for your tutoring session and not wasted my time,"she retorted.

"I'm so sorry I didn't skip out on my Physics class to attend a tutoring session I wasn't even aware I was scheduled for," I snorted. Bella started laughing and I joined in, shaking my head. "Crazy woman."

"No, no. Bipolar," she corrected with a wink.

"Ah, that's right," I grinned.

A throat cleared, reminding us that there were two other people at the table. I smiled sheepishly at my parents who were looking between Bella and I curiously and shrugged.

"She's my Stats tutor," I said.

"Yeah, I got that," Dad smirked. "Edward tells us you have an admirer here in Forks," he continued teasingly. I snickered as she turned her head sharply to glare at me.

"I suppose so. I'm certain he hasn't told you about all _his_ admirers though," she said with a sly grin, "and what he's had to do to keep them all at bay."

I narrowed my eyes at her. She wanted to play dirty, huh? I'd show her dirty.

"That's hardly an interesting story. You wanna know something really awesome about Bella, Dad?" I asked, turning to look at him innocently before looking back to a confused Bella.

"Absolutely," he replied.

"She makes up the _best_ nicknames," I grinned. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she scanned my face. "In _fact_, she even has one for you. Wanna know what it is?"

"Edward," she warned, "don't you dare."

"She came up with it a few nights ago, actually," I continued, ignoring her as I turned back to my Dad. "She calls you Dr. Fu—"

I didn't get a chance to finish, as Bella screeched and clapped a hand over my mouth at lightening speed. I laughed and struggled to get away but she held the back of my neck with her other hand, leaning over every time I did to ensure her hand never left my mouth. I even licked her palm, but that didn't work either.

"Making out with my hand is not going to get you anywhere," she scowled. I raised an eyebrow and, slowly and deliberately, traced the tip of my tongue in gentle circles across her palm, then up and down, and side to side. The scowl melted off her face and she swallowed thickly before licking her lips. The pressure of her hand against my mouth lessened severely and, with a wink, I grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her hand away. After blinking a few times she rolled her eyes, wiping her palm on her thigh.

"Ugh, you're disgusting Edward."

Somehow, I didn't think she'd been telling herself that a few seconds ago.

"_Anyway_," I stressed, "as I was saying, she calls you—ow!" I turned to look at her again after she'd kicked my ankle ridiculously hard.

"Shut _up_," she seethed, her jaw clenched.

"Dude, chill out! He already knows," I laughed.

"_What?!" _she screeched, looking between my Dad, who was trying to contain his laughter, and me with wide eyes. "Oh my God," she groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"I quite liked it, actually," Dad chuckled, and Mom was pursing her lips to keep from smiling too wide.

"I am mortified," she mumbled, shaking her head.

"Stop being a drama queen," I smirked. "You're the only one making a big deal out of it."

"Leave her alone," my Mom scolded, "and help me clean up."

"I'll help you," Bella offered quickly, scrambling from her seat and stacking ours plates before hurrying to the sink. I snickered, earning a light smack to the back of my head from my Mom as she passed me. I looked at my Dad and he looked back at me in amusement.

"Women," we said simultaneously before laughing, standing up and carrying some dishes into the kitchen.

* * *

_-B-_

Oh. My. God.

Mortified didn't _cut _it. I didn't know if there was even an adjective for what I felt. Not only did Carlisle know I had the hots for him, but his _wife_ knew too. Surely she was thinking I was going to try and seduce him, not that she had anything to worry about even if I _did_ try. Just the same, I was sure she was none too pleased. I sincerely hoped she wasn't one of those psychotic wives who murdered anybody she thought was trying to come between them. She didn't _seem_ like that, but then again, could you ever really know for sure? I reasoned that, with a husband who looked like hers, she'd have killed the entire female population of Forks by now if that were the case. Then again, it _was_ a significantly small town...

Every time I passed Carlisle as he carried dishes to the island and I went to grab more, I couldn't even look him in the eye. Edward, of course, was a different story. Any death glares he'd previously received from me were nothing compared to the daggers I was shooting at him now. Of course, he simply laughed it off and dodged my attempts to kick him in his knee caps as I passed him.

Once all the food had been put away, Esme shooed us out of the kitchen so that she could finish cleaning up, but I lingered. I'd told her I would help clean up, and, I wanted to make sure my life wasn't in danger.

"You don't have to help, Bella," she smiled. "You've done more than enough already."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind," I said, stepping towards her hesitantly. "What can I do?"

"You can rinse the dishes off and hand them to me so I can put them in the dishwasher, if you insist," she replied. I nodded and went to the sink, turning on the warm water and letting it run. "And you can relax, sweetheart," she chuckled, placing her hands on my shoulders. I tensed up and froze, looking side to side as I waited to see if her gentle grip would turn vice-like. She simply lowered a hand to my upper back and rubbed it gently before letting go. I sighed in relief and relaxed, just as she'd asked.

"You and Edward seem to have an interesting relationship," she smiled. I chuckled and nodded my head, handing her a dish before rinsing off another.

"To say the least," I replied. "It was unusual from the start."

"I vaguely gathered as much," she said, "though I didn't quite understand."

With a sigh, I launched into the full story of how we met as I continued to rinse the dishes. I told her how we'd wanted to claw each other's faces off because of a misunderstanding on both of our parts; how we'd constantly talk shit to each other and make idle threats...all of it. Then I told her how I'd finally grown some balls and apologized, and how we'd evolved into close friends.

"I should kick his ass," she huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "I did _not_ raise him to treat women like that!"

"No, I deserved it completely," I laughed. "Honestly, I probably deserved much worse. Excuse my language, but I was a complete bitch to him for absolutely _no _reason. He was so forgiving once we actually got everything settled."

"That's not the point," she argued.

"Mrs. Cu—"

"Esme," she corrected before I could finish.

"Esme," I started again, "your son is...one of the most compassionate people I've ever met. On a normal basis he's incredibly well-mannered, polite, respectful and an all-around, genuinely _good_ person. I would name specific situations in which he more than proved to be all of those things, but in an attempt keep my dignity in tact, I'm not going to. Just know that even _one_ of those traits in a twenty year-old male is worth gushing over, but all of them? It's...kind of a miracle. You did exceptionally well in raising him, and it honestly is a privilege to call such a good man my friend."

She was quiet for a few moments and I could see her eyes glistening with tears.

"Did he put you up to that?" she joked, wiping under her eyes.

"Surprisingly, no," I chuckled. "That was all me."

She walked towards me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I think you just saved him a smack-down."

"You're welcome," I chuckled, pulling away from her. "Can I kill him now?"

"Not in the house, dear," she smirked in amusement. "Edward!"

"Huh?" he replied.

"Show Bella the back yard," she called out. With a wink, she nodded her head towards the living room, and I grinned before walking through the archway hurriedly.

*

"You _piece_ of _shit_, _ass_hole, cock-sucker, _son_ of a _mother_ _fucker_!" I shouted, smacking his arms roughly with every accentuated word, immediately after we walked far enough out on the patio to where I wouldn't be heard through the door.

"What the fuck?" Edward asked through chuckles, flinching as I continued smacking him. "What's your problem?"

"What's my _problem_?" I repeated. "I can't believe you _told_ him, you dick!" I started smacking him again, and he let me continue for a few moments before shifting his body enough so that he could grab my wrists to keep me from hitting him any more.

_Damnit_.He was too good at that.

"Are you finished?" he asked in amusement.

"No," I huffed, furrowing my eyebrows.

"If it's any consolation, he said it's the most clever one he's heard to date," he smirked. I looked up at him warily and sighed.

"I suppose it does help a little," I muttered. He chuckled and shook his head before leaning down and kissing the tip of my nose. I looked up at him in surprise; he'd never done anything like that before. What surprised me even more was how my stomach dropped before fluttering wildly when I felt his lips on my nose, and how my heart rate sped up.

"What was that for?" I questioned, licking my lips. He looked up, over my head, for a few moments before looking back down at me, scanning my face with his eyes.

"I don't know," he shrugged, my wrists still in his hands. "I just felt like it. Did it make you uncomfortable?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "It was fine. Just...different..." I trailed off. "But good different!" I assured him as his eyebrows furrowed slightly before smoothing out.

"Come on," he murmured, letting go of my wrists, "I was supposed to show you the backyard."

"Nah," I said, clearing my throat. "That was just a ploy to get you outside so I could kill you for embarrassing me."

"Clever," he half-smiled, rolling his eyes. I frowned and studied his face. Something looked like it was bothering him.

"Are you okay?" I asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You just look like something is wrong," I responded. He shook his head and looked down at me with a smile. I eyed him carefully to make sure that he wasn't forcing the smile and he chuckled, grinning crookedly.

"I'm _fine_. I promise," he pressed, and I pursed my lips and nodded before suggesting we go back inside.

I went over to the mantle after walking back into the living room to look at the pictures again. I spotted the photograph of his parents and crept closer to it as Edward went to the couch and plopped down.

"How long have they been married?" I asked, staring closely at the photograph.

"Twenty-five years," he replied, and I let out a low whistle. "Yeah. He always jokes and says that she only married him for his looks, so it's been pretty successful, all things considered."

"I would too," I smirked. "Hell, if you're as sexy as your dad when you're his age, I'll marry _you_."

I turned around to laugh at the inevitable scowl on Edward's face, but groaned loudly as I saw Carlisle walking through the living room with a grin on his face. Just my fucking luck. He looked at me and winked before making his way to the sliding glass doors and slinking outside. I looked back at Edward and narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest, then made my way over to the couch.

"I hate you," I spat, plopping down on the couch as far away from him as I could.

"No you don't," he countered, standing up slightly and turning before laying across the couch, his head landing on my lap. "You love me."

I looked down at him as he grinned up at me cheekily and rolled my eyes, unable to stop the smile forming on my lips.

"I know," I sighed, uncrossing my arms and reaching down to pinch his cheek roughly before smacking it lightly a few times, despite his protests.

Damn these Cullen's and their charming ways.

* * *

_-E-_

"So I've been thinking," I started as my parents made their way into the living room and sat down on the love seat. My head was still resting on Bella's lap and she'd taken to scratching my scalp absently. I pretty much adored her right then, because it felt so damn good.

"Congratulations," Bella scoffed, flicking my temple. I smacked her hand away and gave her a sarcastic smile with a roll of my eyes. She smirked before resuming her ministrations on my scalp.

"_As_ I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," I stressed, "I was thinking about driving back to San Francisco."

"I don't think so," Mom replied immediately. I sighed, expecting to have to convince her, and turned my head to look her.

"It's really not that big of a deal," I said. "Plus, it'll be cheaper in the end. I can drive Alice and Emmett home with me at the end of the semester, and we all live in dorms so our stuff will probably fit in the trunk."

"You may be right," Dad agreed, "but it's a long trip back to San Francisco, Edward; much too long for you to drive alone."

"I'll go with you," Bella offered. I looked up at her and raised my eyebrows hopefully.

"Yeah?"

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I can pay for half the gas, and you _will_ let me," she said sternly as I opened my mouth to protest. "I haven't been on a road trip in a while. It could be fun."

"Okay, so then I wouldn't be alone, Dad," I continued, looking back to my parents. "I'm tired of having to spend an hour to get somewhere that would take me fifteen minutes by car. It's not the easiest thing in the world, working all the way across town."

"Fine, whatever," Mom conceded, lifting a dismissive hand in the air. "Just make sure you check the fluids and the air pressure in the tires."

"I can call the shop and see if one of the guys will do it," Bella offered, and I nodded my head in agreement. "When did you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow," I replied, and she looked at me like I was crazy. "What? It makes sense. That way we'll have a few days to re-cooperate."

"Okay then. _When_ tomorrow?"

"I was thinking around noon, maybe?"

"Are you nuts?" she exclaimed. "You do realize that tomorrow's Friday, right? We'll get stuck right in the beginning of rush hour traffic once we get to Seattle!"

"Well it's not like we have anywhere we need to be," I scoffed.

"No, but I don't exactly want to be stuck behind thousands of unmoving cars for hours on end."

"Well unless you want to _die_ because I fell asleep behind the wheel, I'm not leaving before then. In fact, we may just leave at one instead," I retorted smugly. She smacked the top of my head and huffed but didn't argue it anymore. I rolled my eyes and shook my head before turning my head towards my parents, who were looking on at us in amusement.

"I should get home," Bella said finally. "It's almost three and I have a roast in the crock pot I need to check on."

I nodded and sat up, stretching, before standing up and scratching the back of my neck. My parents stood up and walked us to the door, and I grabbed my keys off the hall table as they started saying their goodbyes.

"Thank you for lunch, it was amazing," Bella smiled.

"Thank you for joining us," Dad replied. "It was a pleasure watching you put my son in his place time and time again."

Bella laughed and I snorted, narrowing my eyes at him. Traitor. Mom hugged Bella tightly and said goodbye, and Dad did the same. Bella's eyes closed and I distinctly saw her bury her nose in his neck before pulling away, thanking them again, and walking out the door with me following behind.

"Did you seriously just smell my Dad?" I asked.

"Yes, and he smells damn good," she replied with a grin. I unlocked the car doors and rounded to the drivers side, climbing in and shutting the door.

"You're a freak," I laughed, turning on the ignition and buckling up.

"Dude, you're dad's a DILF. I can't help it."

"Oh, _gross_," I groaned, scrunching up my nose in disgust.

"Your mom's pretty too," she added. "I'd threesome that shit."

I was about to hurl. She couldn't be serious. I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine, though.

"Mine? Your mom is _smokin_'. I'd hit that all day long."

"How do you even know what my mom looks like?" she scoffed.

"I've been in your dad's house, Bella. I've seen the wedding pictures...yeah, I'm definitely makin' a trip down to Phoenix soon."

"Okay, but I'd still get the better end of the stick. I'd get your mom, and you...would be gettin' it up the ass from Phil," she shrugged. "But whatever floats your boat."

I burst into hysterics and she joined in, bending over in her seat as she laughed.

"You are ridiculous," I sighed as I pulled up in front of Chief Swan's house.

"I know. It's part of my charm," she grinned, unbuckling her seat belt. "I'll let you know later on what time the guys say to take the car in tomorrow."

"Sounds good," I nodded. "Start packing. I'm not waitin' on your ass."

"Yes you will," she replied with a wink before climbing out of the car. "Talk to you soon, sucka."

"Later home skillet," I said with a crooked grin. She slammed the car door shut and I watched her as she jogged up the steps and onto the porch, unlocking the door, then entering with a wave over her shoulder.

As I drove back home, all I could think was _God, I hope we don't die tomorrow_. I could only imagine that, if for whatever reason we _did_ die, it'd probably be a really, _really_ fucking funny situation; like a clown car falling apart and the rim flying through the window, smacking me in the face. That sort of shit just seemed like something that would happen to us. At least she'd get a good laugh out of the irony of the situation before one smacked her in the face too.

Tomorrow couldn't come any faster.

* * *

**End Notes: **Review, my lovelies. Head over to the forum and discuss! Also, add me on twitter, and if you want, add me on facebook if you want (especially if you play farm town. I need neighbors. lol)

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	21. Chapter 20: Road Trippin' Pt 1

**Chapter Notes: **Fiiiinally, right? Thanks to everybody who was supportive of me taking the time needed away to make this chapter as good as it could be. Thank you to all the reviewers, you all are amazing. :)

Before I start with the formalities, I have a few things to say. I'm only going to say this one more time, because quite frankly, it's getting old. Some of you seem to think you call the shots in this story; that the reader holds some authority over the writer. That is not the case. Do not send me reviews demanding updates, because all that is going to do is ensure that you get a PM in reply, severely bitching you out. Secondly, you will notice you can no longer leave anonymous reviews. That is because I disabled them. I have gotten a handful of people who have the balls to talk shit when it's an anonymous review, but are too much of a coward to ever log in so that I can rip them a new asshole. I just don't approve of that shit, so...sorry to all you anonymous reviewers who aren't douche bags, but I don't feel like wasting my time, reading something that I can't even reply to. Lastly, and I haven't gotten this a lot, but it's still annoying, don't fucking make idle threats. Example: somebody reviewed, saying that if something didn't happen in this chapter, they were 'gone'. Um...BYE. Seriously, if you don't like the way my story goes, that's cool. There's a red X in the top, right-hand corner. Use it. Also, there should be a notepad in your start menu. Pull it up and write your own fucking story; stop trying to dictate the way mine goes. Honestly, don't think that you are significant. I may lose one reader, but I'll gain 20 in your place.

/rant

Thanks to my wifey, **Maximista**, for the little sing-a-long on B's part. She's pretty effing amazing. Thanks to my hooker, **GiveUsAKiss413**, for listening to me complain, for collaborating ideas with me on this chapter, and for calling me to help me figure out what the hell to write when I was stuck. Thanks to my lovah for all her ecouragement and comments along the way as I was writing the entirety of this chapter, because it really helped. And last, but certainly not least, a FUCKLOAD of thanks to my Cha, **crimsonmarie**, for offering to beta this post at the last minute, and doing it quickly so you all could get this shit today. You owe her a really huge 'THANK YOU!'

Seriously, I fucking love you all.

Thank you to everybody who voted for Breaking Bella in the Bellie Awards! Also, this story is up for a Twi-Fi Award--Best Bella and Jacob Friendship. Linkage is on my profile page. Go vote; it's open until August 16th!

Okay, so...I'm not going to tell you what the chapter song is up here, because it's mentioned in the story and I don't want to give anything away. I'm pretty positive you all can figure it out on your own, and you'll also know exactly when to YouTube that shit and let it play in the background as you're reading (to add to the effect, of course). I hope this lives up to the hype.

Without further adieu, I give you the first part of chapter 20. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: What I own: A tendency to bite my nails when I'm nervous...kind of like what i'm doing right now.  
What I do not own: Twilight and/or any of its affiliates.

_

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_

-E-

Friday morning, I woke up a little after nine. I'd packed everything I brought home with me the night before, minus the daily necessities that could be packed last minute. Bella had arranged for 'her boys', as she deemed them, to check my car at around 11:30, so I had a bit of time to chill out with my parents before I left.

"I wish you weren't leaving so soon," Mom said, placing a bowl of scrambled eggs in the center of the table.

"I'm only leaving a day earlier than planned," I replied, taking a sip of orange juice.

"That's still one less day we get with you," she sighed, taking a seat next to Dad at the table. "Did you call and cancel your flight yesterday?"

"Yup," I nodded, making myself a plate. "I got it credited."

"Did you print out directions?"

"There's no need to. I take the I-5 straight down to the bay area and follow the signs."

"But you'll have to get off for gas and food and things like that," she argued.

"And I can find my way back to the freeway," I laughed. "Relax, Mom. I'll be fine."

She sighed again with a nod, and we ate breakfast in comfortable conversation–conversation that, naturally, veered away from the fact that I was leaving in less than two hours.

Those two hours went quickly, though, and soon I was slamming my trunk closed, ready to head off. After convincing my Mom that I did, indeed, have everything that I needed, and then some, I hugged both of my parents goodbye, promising to drive safe, and started towards Bella's house. I sent her a text message as I left my house, letting her know I'd be there within the next few minutes and, as was usual the past week, she was on the porch and ready to go when I pulled up.

"You look like shit," I called out, grinning, as I walked towards the porch to help her with her bag.

"Fuck off," she scowled. "I didn't get to sleep until one in the morning, and then I woke up at five. I'm tired."

"Why'd you wake up so early, then?" I questioned, walking back towards the car.

"I asked Charlie to wake me up before he left for work so I could say bye," she replied, stopping next to the passenger door as I hoisted her suitcase into the trunk and closed it.

I nodded in understanding and rounded the side of the car, sliding in and waiting for Bella to buckle up before backing out and starting towards La Push.

We arrived at the shop in reasonable time, with Bella giving me directions that had been text messaged to her, and parked before climbing out and heading into the reception area.

"Hey B," a guy leaning against the front desk greeted with a smile, walking towards her with open arms.

"Hey Sam," she replied, hugging him back. I looked around, feeling slightly awkward, and shoved my hands into my pockets, biting the inside of my bottom lip.

"Introduce me to your friend, rude ass," Sam said, shoving Bella's shoulder lightly as he pulled away.

"Oh! Sorry, this is Edward," she replied, motioning towards me. I nodded and waved with a small smile, but his curious stare made me a little uncomfortable.

"Edward, you say?" he asked with a smirk, throwing Bella a sly glance.

"Yeah..." I trailed off, looking between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Bella simply rolled her eyes and told me to ignore him. They talked for a few moments before another tall ass motherfucker walked through a door and into the reception area, wiping his hands.

"'Ey, Paul, this here's Edward," Sam grinned, nodding towards me as Paul enveloped Bella in a hug as well.

"Shut the fuck up," Paul laughed, turning towards me and sticking his hand out. "So you're the infamous Edward?"

Infamous? _What_? I turned to Bella, who looked like she was about to murder both of them simultaneously, wondering what the _hell_ she'd been telling them.

"I–"

"Ignore him, too," she scowled, cutting me off. "In fact, ignore _all_ the idiots here."

"O...kay..." I said slowly. What the fuck were these people on?

Jake walked in right then, with one more guy trailing behind him–Embry, I believe was his name--both greeting Bella in the same fashion. I was instructed to hand over my keys to Jake, who then tossed them to Embry and told him to get to work.

"Why don't you do it?" Embry yelled, tossing the keys back to Jake.

"Because _I _want to spend time with my girl before she leaves," Jacob said, throwing the keys directly at Embry's head. "Now stop whining and go."

I smirked, trying not to laugh, as Embry walked back through the door he came in, mumbling to himself with a sour look on his face. Jake turned to me and we slapped hands before he headed behind the front desk as Sam and Paul went to sit at a table, motioning for Bella and I to follow suit.

"Anybody want a Coke?" he asked, pulling up a can for emphasis. We all declined and he shrugged, popping it open, before making his way to the table as well and straddling a chair next to Bella. "So how long is the drive?"

"About 15 hours, depending on traffic," I sighed, rubbing my hands up and down my face roughly. Jake whistled, bringing his can of soda to his lips with raised eyebrows.

"You gonna let her drive any?" he questioned, nodding towards Bella. I snorted and shook my head. What a preposterous idea.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, clearly offended.

"It means I love my car, and I don't know jack shit about your driving skills. No way in hell are you touching my baby," I replied.

The guys snickered but quickly muffled their laughter when she shot daggers at each of them.

"She's a good driver," Paul said with a smirk. "She'd _have_ to be to keep that piece of shit truck of hers in one piece after _how_ many years?"

"Five, thank you," Bella quipped, her chin raised. "And don't talk shit about my baby. At least it can actually _pass_ for a vehicle, unlike your hunk of metal."

"Hey, fuck you," he laughed, shoving her head gently. "My bike is the shit."

The banter continued, mostly at Bella's expense, and I threw in a few stories of her unfortunate encounters in San Francisco, much to her dismay. Embry walked back in about fifteen minutes later, handing me my keys, and said everything looked good, but he'd filled the reservoir with coolant, just to be safe. We all sat around and talked for a bit longer, and even though I was anxious to get on the road, I sympathized with them. I was lucky in the fact that I had Alice in the same city, half an hour away at the most, and that I could see her whenever I wanted. They didn't have that luxury with Bella–not even close. I couldn't imagine going years without seeing Alice, and I was willing to give them all the time with her that we could afford to stay.

Bella looked down at her pocket as Paul told a joke and pulled her phone out, hitting a few buttons, before squeaking slightly and biting her lip with a grin.

"What the hell was that?" Jake asked, leaning over to look at the screen of her phone. She pulled the phone away, but apparently not quickly enough, because he followed up with, "Who's eleven D?"

"Oh, God," I muttered, rolling my eyes. He was _still_ texting her?

"Shut up," she snapped at me before turning her head to Jake and telling him it was none of his business. He looked at me questioningly and I stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"_Eleven D_," I stressed in an obvious tone, though he still didn't understand. "As in airplane...row eleven, seat D."

"Metro undie boy?" he scoffed, looking between Bella, who was focused intently on her phone, and me with wide eyes. I nodded, then shook my head in disapproval, and he chortled, throwing his head back and slamming his can on the table. "What the hell, Bells, seriously?"

"You guys are just jealous," she said with a dismissive wave, putting her phone down on the table.

"Why would I be jealous of Abercrombie and Gay? I'm the really hot nerd, remember?" I teased. "That's so much better. Speaking of which..."

Before she could figure out what I was planning, I swiped her phone off the table and stood up, holding it in the air, out of her grasp, and leaning my head back as I went through her menu to her contacts list. I ignored her protests and the repeated smacks to my chest–seriously, I decided I was getting her a whip for her birthday since she was clearly into that shit–as I changed my name in her phone, just like I'd promised, and saved it before handing it back to her with a grin. She went through her phone, undoubtedly trying to see what I'd done, before rolling her eyes at me and plopping down in her seat.

"You're a moron."

"I'm just keepin' my word, baby," I teased with a wink.

All four of the guys were staring between Bella and I in amusement, before exchanging glances amongst themselves; their lips pursed to hide their smiles.

"Alright, we should probably go," Bella said with a sigh, "and you guys need to get back to work."

They nodded.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked, reaching for my wallet.

"It's on the house," Sam replied, waving his hands around. "Bells being safe has no price tag."

"I'm touched," she joked, dramatically wiping a tear from her eye and sniffing. I thanked him and started shaking hands with the four men as Bella hugged each of them before pecking them on the lips. I raised an eyebrow at that, but decided not to touch base on it inside. After thanking the guys again, we walked out of the reception area, Jake following behind for one last goodbye before we left.

"Are you guys driving straight through or stopping somewhere?" he asked, looking between Bella and me.

"I'm countin' on driving straight through," I replied, unlocking the doors. He nodded and paused next to the passenger door with Bella, and, deciding to give them a few moments, I climbed into the car and shut the door. I started the car and fumbled with the stereo settings before hooking up my iPod and scrolling through my list of songs. I looked at Bella and Jake out of the corner of my eye–yes, I was being nosy, I'll admit it–and saw that they were in a tight embrace, Jake significantly hunched over and both of their faces resting in each other's neck. I felt a little bad for intruding on their private moment, even though they didn't know, and looked away again.

Giving up and selecting the shuffle mode, I sighed, placed my iPod in the center console and leaned my head back, closing my eyes. I was yet again reminded of how lucky I was to have my best friend near me all the time and I had a sudden need to talk to her. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I pressed her assigned speed dial number and hit send, bringing the phone up to my ear as it rang.

"Hey you," she answered brightly.

"Hey Ali," I greeted, smiling upon hearing her voice.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"Nothin'," I replied. "Just sitting here, waiting for Bella to finish saying bye to Jake. We're driving back to SF, but you probably already knew that."

"Mmhmm," she hummed in agreement, and I smirked, shaking my head. "How was your break?"

"Good," I nodded. "Played golf with your dad, then came back to _my_ parents being home, so it was cool. Other than that, I just chilled out at home or hung out with Bella."

"Sounds like a good vacation," she said. I agreed and asked her how hers was going, and she told me she'd just been spending time with Grammy, harassing Emmett at any opportunity, and, of course, hanging out with Jazz and Rosalie.

"How'd the dinner go?" I questioned.

"Good. Emmett didn't disgrace the family, thankfully," she sighed, and I chuckled, picking at my jeans.

"I miss you," I mumbled, brushing invisible lint off my thigh.

"Are you getting emotional on me, Edward?" she teased. I rolled my eyes, switching my phone to the other ear.

"_No_, I just forget sometimes that not everybody has their best friend with them practically all the time," I reasoned. "I miss your little pixie face, but tell anybody that and I'll deny it to the death," I joked.

"First of all, fuck you," she said calmly, and I barked out a laugh. "Second of all, I miss you too."

"What time do you get in tomorrow?" I asked, noticing Bella and Jake were _finally_ pulling away from each other.

"3:45 in the afternoon," she replied.

"Okay," I nodded. "Well we're gonna head out now. Have a good rest of your vacation, and I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you, bye."

I repeated the sentiment before ending the call and shoving the phone back in my pocket, just as the passenger door opened and Bella slid in. She apologized quietly for taking so long, but I waved it off; what a silly thing to apologize for.

"Alright, have a safe drive," Jake said, bending down to peer into the car. I nodded as we buckled our seatbelts, assuring him I wouldn't let anything happen to Bella.

"Call me when you get in," he said to her, and she nodded in agreement before puckering her lips and tapping them with her index finger. Jake smiled and shook his head before bending down and placing a chaste kiss on her lips, ruffling her hair slightly, and wishing us a safe trip before closing the passenger door. I started backing up as he jogged towards the door and disappeared into the reception area, then started forward, turning to Bella with a smirk.

"You're a kissing whore," I said, shaking my head.

"I am not," she protested. "It wasn't like my tongue was shoved down his throat. It was a friendly peck."

"Uh huh."

"Suck it, Cullen."

"Suck _what_, exactly, Bella?" I questioned, turning down La Push Road. "Is there something you aren't telling me? Something I happened to _miss_ when you were standing in front of me in your sexy underwear?"

I immediately tensed up, just realizing my slip. _Fuck! _I hadn't meant to say that. Shit, shit, shit...

"You thought my underwear was sexy?" she asked, amusement laced in her tone.

_Shit, shit, _shit_. Think of something, you moron!_

"They were see through and black," I said, thankful my tone came across as if it were the most obvious explanation in the world. "'Nuff said."

"Smooth," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Real smooth."

"And I don't even have to try," I replied smugly, merging onto the 101.

*

"I'm still annoyed at the fact that we'll be stuck in rush hour traffic," Bella sighed, discarding her flip flops and sitting Indian style in the seat.

"But not _Seattle_ rush hour traffic," I pointed out, turning my head to her, with a smirk. "We'll be in Oregon by then. You'll live."

She rolled her eyes and averted her gaze out the window, watching intently as the greenery whizzed by with a contented sigh. "We'll have to play games, you know," she said, "road games."

She was quiet for the next half hour.

*

"Tell me a secret," she said randomly, breaking the comfortable silence between the two of us. I looked over at her curiously before facing forward again, a small smile on my face.

"I don't have any secrets," I shrugged.

"Everybody has secrets," she argued.

"Not me," I replied with a smirk.

"So you're saying...Alice, for example, knows _everything_ about you?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.

"No," I admitted, "but between her, Emmett, Tanya, and my parents, everything is laid out on the table."

Bella hummed in response

"What about you?" I inquired.

"What _about_ me?"

"What are your secrets?" I pressed.

"I guess I don't have any either," she shrugged. I rolled my eyes and shook my head–of course. "I mean, between a much-too-nosy-for-her-own-good mother, and a best friend I did pretty much everything I wouldn't have wanted my parents to find out about with, what secrets are there to keep?"

What a cryptic answer. That just would not do. I furrowed my eyebrow slightly, trying to think of things that a teenager would not want to get caught doing with a friend. The list was fairly short: drugs, drinking, vandalizing, and sex. My eyes widened slightly at the last on the list, but I shook my head, ridding myself of the thought. They were just friends–she'd said it enough. They wouldn't have...would they?

"Like what, have sex?" I blurted, immediately cringing at my apparent inability to keep it together.

"What?" she shrieked, turning to me with wide eyes. "No!"

"Just asking," I defended, exhaling in relief. I didn't know why the thought of them hooking up made me feel so uneasy, but I told myself it hardly mattered if they _hadn't_ had sex.

"Have you and _Alice_ ever hooked up?" she asked, still sounding flustered.

My response was almost identical to hers.

"Exactly," she huffed, "so why would you even ask such a question?"

"Sorry, sorry," I muttered. "Morbid curiosity, I guess." I was silent for a few moments, trying to think of something I could tell Bella to appease her apparent need to know a secret about me.

"Alice was my first kiss," I said, finally. She looked up at me with raised eyebrows.

"How old were you guys?"

"Twelve. It was...awkward," I snorted, shaking my head with a grin. "We just wanted to get it over with, but afterward, we decided we would never do _anything_ remotely close to that again."

Bella laughed, shifting in her seat. "When was the last time you got laid?" she asked. I snorted _really_ loud at that.

"Why, you offering up your services?" I joked.

"Funny," she said sarcastically. "Clearly, I'm trying to get all of your dirty laundry out in the open; clear the air, so to speak."

"Clearly," I smirked. "That's an embarrassing question."

"That long?" she snickered, and I glared pointedly at her.

"It's...been a while," I admitted. "The last time was right before winter break."

"That's only like...three and half months," she replied. "That's not a big deal."

"Not anymore, I guess," I sighed. "It was hell at first, though." She questioned the meaning of my statement, and I sighed, not exactly wanting to get into an elongated conversation about my lack of a sex life. "I was a teenage guy, going from having sex on a regular basis to basically remaining abstinent for a fucking _year_. That's...not fun."

"A year?" she asked in surprise. "Why so long?"

I shrugged. "I tried, but I was still in love with Tanya at the time," I explained. "As much of a pansy as it makes me, I just couldn't do it."

"That doesn't make you a pansy," she murmured. "It makes you have a _heart_."

I laughed lightly and shook my head, a half-smile on my lips. "When was the last time _you_ got some?"

"No comment," she replied quickly, going back to examining her nails.

"Did I just hit the jackpot?" I laughed, glancing between her and the road. "Did I find out one of your _secrets_?"

"Shut up," she muttered, pursing her lips.

"Come on," I said, poking her thigh repeatedly. "Tell me."

"No," she responded, smacking my hand away.

"Come on."

"No."

"Yes."

"_No_."

"Ye–"

"Alright!" she yelled. "It was a year ago, and before you ask, I don't _know_ who it was. That's right, I can't remember his name!"

I pursed my lips to keep from laughing, glancing at Bella from my peripherals as the car was completely silent after her outburst.

"God, that's horrible," she finally said, and we both burst into laughter. "It makes me sound like a whore."

"It happens," I reasoned, trying to make her feel better. "I can't remember the girl's name I had sex with, either..._and_ I fucked her in a bathroom stall. That's whorish."

"Yeah, that's true," she agreed after a brief pause, and I scoffed. Thanks, Bella. "You're kind of a whore, anyway, so it's not too surprising."

"I am not," I argued. "_Obviously_ I'm not if it's been over ninety days."

"But who's counting, right?" she smirked.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "Why haven't you...ya know...since?"

I probably shouldn't have been so curious, but I was just the same. Obviously it wasn't for lack of people being interested in her. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and yes, a total bitch at times, but it truly _did_ add to her charm, though I'd never tell her that.

"The whole thing kind of killed my sex drive for a while," she shrugged, "but at this point, I've waited long enough, so I'm not going to just get it on with _anybody_."

"Not even lover boy?" I smirked.

"Not even lover boy," she replied, "...yet."

I groaned loudly, wondering why she had to throw that last part in there, and she snickered.

"What do you have against him?" she asked.

"I...don't know," I replied honestly. "I just don't think he's right for you."

"Did you suddenly turn into Dr. Phil when I wasn't looking?"

"Har _har_," I replied sarcastically. "So who was your first? Or do you not remember _his_ name, either?" I teased.

"Diiiick move," she laughed, punching me lightly in the arm. "_Yes_, I remember. Nick Bennett. I was sixteen, and we'd been dating for a few months, so I thought, 'what the hell'. He practically wanted to marry me afterward, though. I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment, so told him to get 'ta steppin'."

"Poor guy," I chuckled. "Was he heartbroken?"

"For a minute," she sighed. "Then he moved on to Alyssa Elliot and he was fine." She paused for a moment before asking if Tanya was my first, and I nodded in response, sighing softly.

"Tell me about your guys' relationship."

"Why?" I questioned in surprise.

"I don't know," she shrugged, picking at her nails. "Morbid curiosity," she mocked, throwing me a smirk and a sly glance. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, half-smiling.

"We started dating when we were fourteen," I began. "Well, _I _was fourteen; she had just turned fifteen. Anyway, I'd known her since I moved to Forks, pretty much, and things just kind of...progressed from there, I guess. I fell in love with her, she fell in love with me, and...that's pretty much the gist of it. We had a really good relationship, all the way to the end."

"Why'd you guys break up, then?" she asked softly.

"We were going two different directions, we realized," I sighed, not quite feeling like going down memory lane, but Bella wanted to know, and for whatever reason, I couldn't deny her anything. "We weren't ready to end it, but at the same time we knew it was inevitable. We didn't want any animosity between us, which would have happened if we waited until neither of us could handle it any more, so we broke up when we left for college."

Bella stayed silent, and I glanced over at her curiously. She stared out the window, a contemplative look on her face, and I wondered what was going through her head.

"What's with all this relationship talk, anyway? Is there something you need to get out in the open, Bella?" I teased in an attempt to get her out of her own head. "Do you need counseling on a past relationship?"

"No, you ass," she chuckled, smacking my thigh lightly. "I just...wanted to know, I guess."

I nodded in response, and we lapsed into comfortable silence once again.

*

"We need some different music," Bella announced, as we drove down the I-5. "Just for a little bit."

"What do you suggest?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The radio," she said, giving me a look that clearly said I was an idiot for not guessing it myself. She pressed the button to switch the stereo from AUX to FM and immediately started flipping through the stations.

"God, what the hell is this shit they play on the radio?" I grumbled as that annoying fucking song by that equally annoying sounding woman from the Black Eyed Peas sounded through the speaker.

"Fergie," she replied with a shrug.

"I _know_," I said, but quickly covered my knowledge of it, as she glanced at me questioningly, by blaming Alice. It was true, but somehow I didn't think she believed me.

Great. Now my name in her phone book would probably read 'Fergie loving Speedo model'. How enticing.

"I'm gonna make up a song about our road trip to this tune," she grinned, tapping her lips with her index finger and looking up in contemplation.

"No, thank you," I said quickly.

"It's coming to me," she grinned, turning to me with wide eyes.

"Oh no," I groaned, silently praying that she had a decent voice.

"You got me trippin', oh," she wailed along to the chorus loudly, killing any hope I had, along with my ability to properly hear.

"Stop," I begged, "_please_."

"Road trippin', _oh_," she continued, "highway-in', oh..."

She stopped singing for a few seconds and I sighed in relief, praying that she'd finished.

"...drive-a-lin', _oh_–"

Clearly, God and I needed to have a chat about the legitimacy of my prayers.

"What the _fuck_?!" I screeched, furrowing my eyebrows and shooting her an incredulous look.

"Goin' cos I gotta get ho-oooome," she finished, bobbing her head side to side.

"Drive-a-lin'? Really?"

"Don't make me sing it again," she threatened. "There will be no intermissions as I try to think of something clever this time."

"I hope you're not aiming to become a pop star," I snickered, "'cos you sound worse than that Shakira woman, and she sounds like a dying goat. I mean at least she actually gets the _notes_ right."

Bella stared blankly at me for a few moments before starting up the song again, louder than before, and I shouted profuse apologies, promising not to mock her horrible voice ever again if she'd just _shut up_. Thankfully, she obliged, and I realized in that moment that silence truly _was_ golden.

Jesus wept.

After fifteen minutes of a constant changing of radio stations with horrible music, I was ready to kill myself.

"Can we _please_ put my iPod back on?" I begged. I briefly wondered why I was even _asking_–this was _my_ car. I concluded that I was just an incredibly nice person, though, and went back to pleading with her to play _good_ music.

"Fine," she sighed, hitting the AUX button. She lifted the center console and pulled my iPod out, scrolling through it momentarily before setting it back down and closing the console. Guitar and drums flowed through the speakers and I immediately cringed, waiting for her inevitable teasing.

This just _had_ to be the song that started playing, didn't it?

* * *

_-B-_

"Sugar Ray?" I scoffed, covering my mouth with my hand to muffle my laughter as _Every Morning_ played in the background.

"Shut up," Edward mumbled. "They were awesome."

"They're not exactly a band you'd want to brag about liking," I laughed.

"Hence the reason you didn't know," he pointed out, and I nodded in agreement. "Clearly, they're my guilty pleasure band."

"Clearly," I repeated with a smirk.

"I'm sure yours isn't much better," he reasoned.

"I don't have a guilty pleasure band," I replied smugly.

"Fine, what's your guilty pleasure _song_ then? And don't say you don't have one, because everybody does."

Damn.

"I'm waiting," he pressed.

"O_kay_," I drawled, "it's called 'Kiss Me' by Sixpence None The Richer."

"Uh..." he started, glancing at me curiously.

"Have you ever seen _She's All That_, with Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr.?" I asked.

"Unfortunately," he cringed. "Alice made me buy it for her birthday one year, then forced me to watch it with her."

"Nice," I chuckled. "It's the song that plays when she's walking down the stairs after her make-over."

"Yeah, I don't know," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I pretty much blocked out anything I could pertaining to that crap."

"You just don't know good movies," I joked, yawning.

"You're right. Because that was an Oscar winning film, and all," he snorted.

"Exactly," I replied cheekily. I yawned again, shaking my head, and wiped at the moisture under my eyes.

"You can take a nap," Edward chuckled. "It's not a crime."

"I _know_," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I just know you'll be devastatingly bored without me to entertain you."

"Right," he smirked. "I think I'll survive."

"Mmhmm," I hummed. "I think I'm gonna sleep, though, for a little bit."

"Okay," he agreed, reaching to the stereo to turn the volume up slightly.

I laid my head back, closing my eyes, and was out within minutes.

*

I woke up just as Edward pulled into a gas station.

"Where are we?" I asked sleepily, rubbing at my eyes.

"Portland," he replied, shutting the car off and unbuckling his seat belt. "Gotta get some gas."

I nodded and closed my eyes, attempting to go back to sleep, but it was futile. Just as I'd dozed off, I heard "Jesus!" hissed from beside me, and I opened my eyes to see Edward turning the key in the ignition, just enough so he could roll down the window. There was a man standing next to it, hunched over, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

Edward muttered something to himself then handed his card over, telling the attendant to fill it up, before turning back to me.

"It's against the law to pump your own gas in Oregon," he explained, "I forgot."

Well shit, why couldn't it be that way in California? Although, when I really thought about it, I was kind of glad it wasn't like that. This experience was very...awkward...to say the least, and I didn't think I could handle it on a day-to-day basis.

When the attendant came back with Edward's card and receipt, he thanked him, before stuffing his card back in his wallet and shuffling out of the car. He ducked his head inside, looking at me with raised eyebrows. "I'm gonna grab something to drink inside. You want anything?"

"A Dr. Pepper," I said, unbuckling myself as well.

"Okay," he agreed. "What are you doing?"

"I have to pee," I replied. He chuckled and nodded his head as we climbed out of the car, locked the doors, and headed into the mini mart. I asked the cashier for the key to the restroom—thankfully, it was inside—and made my way to the back, spotting the sign for the women's bathroom on a door in the hall.

I scrunched up my nose at the toilet paper scattered on the ground as I walked in, but I had to piss way too bad to waste time dwelling on it. I walked closer to the toilet bowl and, after piling the paper covers on the seat, I sat down and did my business with a sigh of relief. No sooner had I grabbed some toilet paper, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. Setting the wad I'd grabbed on my lap, I fished my phone out and opened the new text waiting in my inbox.

**_Hurry up. You take too long._**

I rolled my eyes and hit reply, excusing myself for not having a dick that I could piss out of then shake and go. After shunning Edward and telling him to leave me to pee in peace, I stuck my phone back in my pocket and went on about my business, pulled up my pants and flushed the toilet. As I was washing my hands, I looked into the mirror to make sure I didn't look like a _complete_ hot mess. I saw a flash of blue on my forehead, peeking out from under my bangs, and frowned.

"What the..." I trailed off as I pulled my bangs to the side, realizing I had something _written_ on my fucking forehead. 'Edward is my God', to be exact, in said _God's_ handwriting. "Mother fucker," I hissed, grabbing a paper towel and wetting it, before putting soap on it and scrubbing furiously at my head. I felt my pocket vibrate again, but I was too concerned with getting the stupid ink off my face to check it. After it was completely erased from my skin, leaving a bright pink mark across my forehead where I'd scrubbed, I huffed and shook my hands dry before grabbing my phone and checking the message.

**_No, no shunp._**

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and walked out of the bathroom, spotting his mop of unruly bronze hair at the register and heading towards him.

"I don't get it," I said once I approached him.

"Check the message you just sent me," he laughed, handing money to the cashier for the items on the counter. I scrolled through my menu to my sent messages and immediately started laughing as I spotted my typo. Instead of typing 'shun', I'd typed 'shunp'.

"I'll shunp you as many times as I want," I joked as he handed me my soda after he'd gotten his change. He headed towards the door and held it open for me to go through.

"Damnit, Bella, don't shunp me. I will not tolerate your shunping," he said sternly, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought a smile.

"Liar!" I accused, rolling my eyes. "You love it when I shunp you," I teased as we approached the car. He unlocked the doors and we climbed in, shutting them once we were situated.

"Well, if you're gonna talk dirty to me, you dirty, naughty girl," he said lowly, wiggling his eyebrows, "you can shunp me all you want."

My breath hitched in my throat and my pulse quickened of its own accord. I didn't know if it was the husky tone, what he'd said, or a mixture of both, but joking or not, that shit was hot as hell.

"You're blushing," he grinned.

"Shut up!" I shrieked, covering my face with my hands.

"Don't be embarrassed. I just have that affect on women," he said cheekily. I dropped my hands and quirked an eyebrow at him. He simply grinned and, with a wink, turned the key in the ignition. I scoffed and buckled in as he drove off.

Arrogant bastard. A _hot_ arrogant bastard, but an arrogant bastard nonetheless.

I suddenly remembered why I'd spent so long in the bathroom as he drove out onto the street and stopped at a light.

"You asshole!" I yelled, smacking him repeatedly in the arm. "Why did you write on my forehead while I was sleeping?"

He laughed loudly, throwing his head back, and leaned against his door. "I'm sorry! There was a traffic jam and I was bored."

"So you wrote on my _face_?" I demanded.

"I couldn't resist."

"You could have _told_ me about it," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What would have been the fun in that?" he joked, and I glared at him. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise."

I rolled my eyes and sighed with a nod, shaking my head.

Clearly, I'd need to make a list of reasons why I was friends with this idiot, and refer to it every time he did something stupid to remind myself why I stuck around.

He drove back to the freeway entrance and merged into the traffic, both of us silent as we drank our sodas and listened to the music. Within forty-five, though, my stomach was growling like crazy, and from the look on his face, he seemed to be having the same problem.

* * *

_-E-_

"We should have grabbed something to eat," I sighed, cringing as my stomach growled uncomfortably.

"Nothing looked appealing," she replied.

"What are you in the mood for?" I asked, glancing along the sides of the freeway for places to eat.

"I don't know," she admitted, and I rolled my eyes. How insightful. "I just don't want fast food."

I nodded, continuing to search for a restaurant sign. We kept driving for fifteen minutes or so, seeing only fast food restaurants. I was about to tell her she could suck it up and deal with it, because I was on the verge of eating both of our styrofoam cups, when she pointed to the left.

"What about that place?" she asked. I followed her arm and saw a pink '57 Cadillac, held up by a thick, red pole, to the side of the freeway; 'Rock-n-Rogers 50's Diner' printed along the car door.

"I don't even care, I'm just hungry," I said, getting over to the right lane to get off on the exit. I followed the ramp down to the light and turned to the right, towards the direction of the restaurant. I spotted the small white building not even a quarter of a mile down the road and turned into the parking lot, pulling into an empty space. We climbed out of the car hurriedly, slamming the doors behind us, and I activated the alarm before shoving the keys in my pocket as we walked to the front of the establishment.

"I love old-school diners like this," Bella sighed, pulling the handle on the door. I reached above her head and held it open, following behind as she walked through and to the podium. I looked around; it wasn't crowded in the least, but there were a decent amount of people seated, and I noticed a few people standing around a juke box against the wall to the right. It smelled _amazing_ inside, but that could have very well been due to the fact that I was so overcome by hunger that grilled donkey would have smelled delectable.

Well, maybe it wasn't _that_ extreme.

A hostess came to the stand and grabbed a few menus before motioning for us to follow her. I noticed a guy at one of the tables unabashedly checking Bella (and her backside) out as she walked by, and I scowled at him. Fucking asshole.

The hostess settled us down in a booth to the left side of the restaurant next to a window, took our drink orders and promised to be back soon. Neither of us said anything to the other. We simply grabbed our menus and shoved our noses in them, set on trying to find something to eat as soon as possible.

"What are you getting?" she asked as I set my menu down.

"Barbeque Chicken Club," I replied. "You?"

"Regular Chicken Club," she smirked. "Ah, great minds think alike."

"True story," I nodded.

The waitress came and took our order, refilled our drinks, and left us in peace. Bella narrowed her eyes at the waitress' back as she walked away, and I raised a questioning eyebrow but decided not to press the issue. I probably didn't want to know anyway.

"I have to pee," Bella announced, sliding out of the booth.

"Again? Is your bladder the size of a pea?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Har har," she replied, rolling her eyes, before turning and walking towards the restrooms. I looked around, puffing out my cheeks and tapping my fingers on the table as I waited. I noticed that stupid fucking punk _still_ staring at Bella, and I shot daggers at him as my hands clenched into fists. He was about to get a foot up his ass within the next half hour if he kept that shit up.

My eyes landed on the jukebox as I finally tore my gaze away from that douche, and with a shrug, I got up and walked to it, flipping through the songs. Pretty much all of them were 50's songs, but there were a few that were more recent. One in particular caught my eye, and I laughed at the irony of finding it here. It was too perfect. I immediately put some change in, selected it, and decided right then that we weren't leaving the restaurant until it was played. I was being completely honest when I said I didn't remember how the song went, so I'd have to watch her reaction to every song that played to know which one it was.

I walked back to the booth and got situated just as Bella came out of the bathroom. I silently commended myself for knack of always having perfect timing, and smiled at her as she sat down.

"What?" she asked skeptically.

"Nothing," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. She probably didn't believe me, but she let it go. She started digging through her purse for something, her bangs falling into her face as her head bent. Her lips were slightly parted, her tongue snaking out to wet her lips before her teeth captured her bottom lip. At that moment I realized that, sleep or no sleep, she was always gorgeous.

"_What_? Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded, snapping me out of my thoughts. I hadn't realized she'd looked up at me, catching me blatantly checking her out. I smiled, shaking my head. Was it a crime to look at her, now?

"Do I have something on my face?" she continued. "Did I not get what you wrote on my forehead completely off?"

She immediately started rubbing at her forehead roughly, which only made my smile bigger as I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Will you relax?" I asked, leaning over the table and grabbing her wrist gently in my hand, halting her movement. "There's nothing on your face. You look beautiful, as always."

The startled look on her face made me flinch infinitesimally. I didn't know what the hell was up with me today. Why couldn't I control my damn mouth around her? I never had a problem with it any other time.

I muttered a quick apology before clearing my throat and leaning back in my seat, pressing my palms into my eyes. Just then, my phone went off in my pocket, and I pulled it out, opening the new text.

**_You alive?_**

Adrian. I hadn't talked to her the entirety of the break. Frankly, I hadn't even _thought_ of her, which was odd in and of itself. I contemplated not replying to her at all, but knowing how girls were, she'd probably end up calling me, and if I acted all vague in my conversation, she'd know something was up, as would Bella, and I didn't feel like offering up an explanation to either of them. I thought it better to avoid that situation all together. I bit the inside of my lip, sighing through my nose, as I typed out my reply and hit send.

**_Yup. Driving. Can't talk._**

I didn't know what drove me to outright lie to her. I should have cared more about wanting to talk to her, especially after what happened between us right before I left. I just..._didn't_. I didn't feel like talking to her. I was content right where I was.

Within a few minutes the waitress brought our food. I thanked her, not even bothering to take my eyes away from my plate, I was that damn hungry, and unrolled my silverware from the napkin. I heard Bella sigh heavily and I glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow at the scowl on her face.

"Did they get your order wrong?" I asked, looking at her plate. It looked right; chicken club on wheat with french fries.

"No," she grumbled, grabbing her napkin as well.

"Then what's the matter?"

"That stupid waitress has been eye fucking you since we got here, and it's very unprofessional," she said coolly.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Jealous?" I questioned, grabbing the ketchup and untwisting the cap.

"More like annoyed," she corrected, rolling her eyes.

"Uh huh," I replied. "Keep tellin' yourself that."

She snatched the ketchup out of my hand, despite my protests, and stuck her tongue out at me as she poured some on her plate before handing it back. I chuckled. Clearly, she had an issue with females looking at me, even though I didn't pay attention to the waitress. I didn't know why the thought made me grin, but it did, nonetheless.

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you there's a guy sitting over there," I said, motioning to the right with my head, "who has been foaming at the mouth over you since we walked in, and it's taking every ounce of will power I have not to go punch him in the mouth?"

She pursed her lips, fighting a smile, and glanced up at me from under her eyelashes. I swallowed harshly and clenched my jaw. She'd _never_ looked at me like that–well, except that one night she tried to seduce me–and the effects it was having on my body were...not appropriate for public.

"Maybe a little...lot," she replied. I chuckled, subtly squirming in my seat and trying to think of something completely _non_-sexual to keep a potential problem from occurring, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. I wasn't used to feeling like this because of _Bella_, of all people.

"So what time do you think we'll get in?" she asked, changing the subject, as she shoved a fry in her mouth.

"I don't know," I shrugged, trying not to pay attention to her tongue licking ketchup from the corner of her mouth. "Maybe around three in the morning? Why, are you anxious to be rid of me already?" I joked.

"Duh," she smirked. "No, I didn't know if I needed to tell Ang to leave the latch undone or not. God, this is a long fucking drive, isn't it?"

"Duh," I mocked, taking a bite of my sandwich. I groaned as the flavors invaded my taste buds. I'd never tasted something so delicious in my life, even though I was positive it was my hunger making it seem that way. Bella had a similar reaction, and if I wasn't so intent on stuffing my face, I probably would have been a little turned on.

Just a little, though.

We finished eating in comfortable silence, and I patted my stomach as I laid back in the booth, sighing contentedly. The waitress came by a few times to refill our drinks and offer us dessert—I almost came undone when she asked. I was staring directly at Bella the entire time, trying desperately not to laugh as she glared up at the waitress and told her we most _certainly_ did not want dessert.

I was thankful that the check hadn't come yet, because the song hadn't come on, as far as I could tell. I was sure I was going to have to take a massive piss soon from all the drinks I was downing to keep us there, but I could only keep up the charade for so long. Like an answered prayer, though, Bella stopped talking mid-sentence, perking up, and tilted her head to the side slightly.

"What?" I asked after a few moments of staring at her in confusion.

"Oh my God," she chuckled, dropping her forehead into her palm.

"What?" I repeated.

"This song," she said. "This is my guilty pleasure song."

Bingo.

"Ya don't say," I smirked. She looked up at me and, upon seeing the amusement on my face, narrowed her eyes.

"You picked this song, didn't you?" she accused.

"Me? Never," I grinned with a wink.

"Liar!"

"Yeah, yeah," I said dismissively, sliding out of my seat, and stood up. "Since it's playing, we might as well make the most of it."

I held my hand out to her, but she simply stared at it; her gaze flitting between my hand and my face. I was becoming slightly nervous, especially since I couldn't figure out what gave me the idea to do this in the first place. It seemed that suddenly, I was doing all sorts of things that I didn't understand when it came to Bella. I wasn't about to show her that I was feeling slightly insecure, though, so I feigned exasperation and rolling my eyes.

"Take my hand, Bella," I sighed, pushing it forward more.

"What for?" she asked skeptically.

"Because we're going to the Alamo, and my hand is the fucking teleport," I retorted sarcastically. "Why the hell do you think? We're going to dance."

"I don't think so," she snorted, shaking her head.

"Bella, if you don't get up, I'm gonna tell your little lover boy about the time you practically raped me in your room," I threatened. "Now take my hand, so I don't look like such a fucking idiot, and dance with me, dammit."

With a huff, she slapped her palm against mine and I grinned, helping her out of the booth.

"Now that half the song is over," I teased, pulling her a small distance away from the table. "Stop being such a baby."

She rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth, and stepped closer to me, interlacing her fingers with mine. I chuckled and brought her other hand up to my shoulder, ignoring the 'allergic reaction' as I was used to doing, before placing my hand on her lower back, bringing our intertwined hands up and resting them on my chest. We started swaying side to side to the tempo, and I pursed my lips to suppress a smile as I looked down at her.

"I'm a horrible dancer," she muttered.

"I guess it's lucky for you that dancing is all in the lead, then" I replied, "and that I'm _fantastic_ at it."

Just as the chorus started up again, I stepped away from her, lifting our joined hands, and, as shock flashed across her face, spun her around. Facing me again, she laughed heartily, and I pulled her back to me with a grin, resuming our previous position and movements.

"We're probably gonna get kicked out," she said as the beat of the drum disappeared during the beginning of the instrumental.

"Nobody's complained yet, but at least we're finished eating if that's the case," I shrugged. She chuckled and shook her head.

"I can't believe you talked me into this. How embarrassing."

"Give me a break, you're loving it," I said as the beat picked up again, and I spun her around twice before pulling her back to me, staring pointedly at the grin on her face for emphasis.

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed, though the twinkle in her eyes as she looked up at me screamed that I was right.

A smile never left her face as we danced for the duration of the song, and I couldn't help mirroring her expression. At this point, I was sure we were earning stares of everybody in the restaurant, but I didn't care. She was enjoying herself, and I was thrilled that I _making_ her enjoy it. The beat of the drums disappeared again, and the final bars of instrumentation were playing through the speakers. As the last note reverberated through the diner, I spun her around one more time before dipping her. She let out a startled squeak, but it was soon replaced with laughter as she threw her head back and closed her eyes, the end of her ponytail brushing against my knee.

I brought her upright again, a grin still playing on my face. Her hands were still resting on my forearms, and mine slid down to rest on her lower back. Truthfully, I could have let her go, but I didn't want to. She looked up at me and was fucking _beaming_, her brown eyes sparkling and I was completely taken aback by the way my heart skipped in my chest as I stared down at her.

I couldn't tell you what initially drove me to even consider making my next move. All I saw was her; so completely peaceful, and jubilant, and just fucking _beautiful_, and she was in _my _arms. _I _had caused her current state of happiness, and suddenly everything clicked. All the subconscious urges as of late, to touch her, or have her touch me; the kisses on the head and nose...all of it made sense, as if it were leading up to this one moment.

Staring into her eyes, I decided right then and there that I knew what had to happen. By the look on her face, I was positive she knew what was about to transpire, but I'd be lying if I said I was able to predict her reaction. I couldn't let the fear of rejection hold me back, though. I wanted—no, I _needed_ this much too bad to allow something so trivial to stand in the way. _Fuck it_, I thought to myself as I cupped her cheek, licking my lips, and began to lower my head. _The worst she can do is turn away. At least then I'll know_.

I held my breath as my mouth neared hers, my eyes flitting about her face for any indication of forthcoming rejection. I found none, though. Instead her eyes fluttered closed, her warm breath hitting my lips in ragged puffs. My whole body felt like there was a never-ending electric current running through me, just like it always had when I touched Bella.

_This is it._ _This is the make-or-break point._

Could it potentially damage the relationship we'd built; the friendship I'd come to love and cherish so dearly? Probably. Did I think it would be worth it in the end? Abso-fucking-lutely. With that mind set sealing the deal, I closed the gap between us.

And then, ever so gently, I kissed her.

* * *

**End Note: **Oh my Gooooood, right? bahahaha. Review, then head over to the thread and discuss, bb's. Follow me on twitter/add me on facebook, too, if you want. Linkage is on my profile page.


	22. Chapter 20: Road Trippin' Pt 2

**Chapter Notes: **Holy. fucking. hell, you guys. The first part of chapter 20 got over **200 reviews**. How insane is that?! There were so many first-time reviewers--obviously, we all know why _that_ was ;)--but it doesn't matter! You guys killed it. I'm so friggin' happy you liked it.

And, apparently, I owe some of you an explanation. There were only three people who kind of called me out on my rant the last time (the rest of you either agreed or thought it was hilarious. hells yes), and, granted, after I explained what I meant, they understood better, but more than likely there were others who _didn't_ speak out that felt the same way, so let me attempt to appease those of you who felt it was off-putting. I try to give my readers praise every single post, because I really do love you all. You're great, and you MAKE my story. I write as quickly as possible so that I can post every week for y'all, so I just want to make this clear: **I do not think my readers are in any way, shape, or form, expendable.** I was NOT directing the whole "You are insignificant, you don't matter, blippity bloop" bit to everybody. That was directed to mainly ONE person, who would have gotten a direct PM from me stating all of that had they logged in to review. Unfortunately, it was anonymous, and I had no way to reply other than my A/N, therefore you all had to witness it. Does it kind of make me an asshole for calling people out? Yup, but that's just me. I don't take kindly to cowards, and you better believe, anonymous review or not, I'm going to defend myself in any way I can. I sincerely apologize if any of you felt I meant that I don't care about my readers, because that's about as far off from the truth as it could get.

Right. So, again, thank you to **GiveUsAKiss413** for collaborating ideas with me on this whole chapter. This part is actually what we came up with first. Thank you to my lovah for always trying to help me in any way she can think of. Thank you to my amazing beta, Missy, for getting this back to me within a friggin' DAY of me sending it to her, even though she has a shitload of things going on in her life. I adore her. I forgot to thank Trevor last time for the whole 'shunp' bit, 'cos the whole conversation was, word for word, a conversation between us, and he gets annoyed and bitches if I don't thank him for something he offers an ounce of input for lol. This part is actually my favorite of all of the chapters, and I hope you all love it as much as I do.

Oh, and remember, Breaking Bella is up for the **Best Bella and Jacob Friendship Twi-Fi award**; linkage is up on profile page. Voting ends TODAY, 8/16, so go vote!

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: What I own: An apparent inability to finish chapter 21, dammit.  
What I do not own: Twilight, suckaaas.

_

* * *

-B-_

I saw the flicker in his eyes before it happened; that look of decisive determination. I should have pulled away before he had the chance to do it, but I couldn't. I should have stopped him once it _happened—_I should have _wanted_ to stop him, but I didn't. Not in the least. All I could think of was how soft his lips were; how perfect they felt pressed against mine and how we just _fit_. My stomach was fluttering wildly, and the tingling sensation I felt any time we touched was now coursing through my veins with a fierce intensity, spreading like a wildfire across every part of my body. His thumb caressed my cheek as his lips moved against mine, and even though it wasn't, by definition, a deep kiss, it _was_ the sweetest, most tender kiss I'd ever experienced.

He pulled away slowly, but I kept my eyes closed. I wasn't sure that I wanted to see the undoubted look of regret on his face, because even though I'd never _really_ considered anything more than friendship with Edward before now, I knew from the way my body reacted—how my body was _still _reacting, that this kiss was going to change things for me. There was no way a kiss that felt as right as that one did couldn't mean anything. Clearly, there was something between us laying dormant under the surface. The real question was, had I purposely refused to acknowledge it until now, or had I subconsciously buried my desire?

I could feel his stare and I knew I couldn't keep my eyes closed forever. I figured it was better to get it over with now rather than later, though, and reluctantly I opened my eyes, immediately being met with his intense, yet slightly anxious looking, green eyes. He was searching my face, and instinctively I began doing the same. My gaze may have lingered on his mouth a second too long, or maybe ten, but how could it not?

Something had to be said. The tension was driving me nuts, and I could tell by the way his shoulders were set that he was completely rigid. Naturally, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, and it was _completely _irrelevant to the dilemma going on inside of my head.

"You _are _fantastic at leading," I breathed out. He visibly relaxed, a crooked grin appearing on those _perfect _lips, and leaned forward to rest his forehead against mine.

"Bella," he chuckled, nuzzling his nose against mine, "you are completely absurd."

"I know," I muttered. He leaned back slightly, staring at me and looking completely serene, and I gasped as I gazed into his eyes.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows slightly.

"You're right," I murmured. "This eye..." I touched the corner of his left eye, "...is a little darker than this one," I finished, touching his right eye in the same manner.

"Of course," he chuckled, shaking his head as he looked on at me in amusement. "You _would_ point out my genetic mutation right after I kiss you."

I ducked my head slightly as I felt my face heat up. Could I be any more stupid?

I felt his hand on my cheek and instantly relaxed, despite the tingling sensation it brought on once again. Allergic reaction my ass–what the hell was it? I'd never been so...attuned to somebody, at least not in that way.

He cleared his throat and pulled away, consequently bringing me back to present time. Back to the scattered patrons of the restaurant staring curiously at us. Back to the waitress standing behind the register, shooting daggers at me. The latter made me grin like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"You ready to go?" he asked, running a hand through his hair and glancing around the restaurant. I nodded in response. He told me he needed to use the restroom, so I should try and get the waitress' attention for the check. I agreed and slid back into the booth, watching his retreating form, with a sigh.

His ass looked so good in those jeans.

I shook my head slightly, trying to get rid of those thoughts. That kiss had really done a number on me, and it wasn't even with tongue. Christ.

_What am I supposed to be doing?_

"Oh, right," I muttered to myself, looking to my right, and spotting the waitress wiping off the counter. I grinned evilly inside.

"Waitress?" I called, and she halted her hand movements to look at me sharply. Stupid whore. "Check, please."

She abandoned the rag and marched over to the waitress station to ring the bill up, then strode towards the table. I grabbed my Visa check card out of my wallet, intent on paying before Edward came back to the table, and raised it in the air, level with her face, without even bothering to look at her.

"Shouldn't your _boyfriend_ be paying for it?" she sneered with a smug smirk on her face. I turned my head to her slowly. Who the fuck did she think she was? I was about to smack this bitch so hard, every caked-on layer of her clown make up would splatter across the windows.

"The boyfriend _is_ paying for it," a deep voice said in a clipped tone. My eyes turned from the hooker's face to see Edward standing beside the table, looking at me pointedly as he pulled his card out of his wallet and smacked it down on the black receipt book. "Can you hurry with that, please?" he continued, sparing a quick glance at the waitress before slipping into the booth and looking back at me. "We need to get going."

Slutty McSkankerson whirled around and went to the register to ring us up. Across from me, Edward sighed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Bella," he said in a disapproving tone.

"What?" I demanded. "You _always_ pay. It's hardly fair."

"I think it is," he shrugged.

"Are you _sexist_? Do you not believe in allowing a woman to pay? This is not the 1930's, Edward."

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed. "You've paid before."

"Okay, _once_," I retorted.

"You've still paid," he smirked. "It's not that big of a deal, Bella."

"It is to me," I huffed.

"Fine, you can pay for...whatever we need next, okay Susan B. Anthony?" he said with a smirk.

"Shut up," I chuckled, kicking his foot under the table.

"Oh, playing footsie now, are we?" he teased.

"Well, _boyfriend_," I smirked, and he grinned impishly, "I'm allowed, aren't I?"

"I hardly appreciated the way she was talking to you," he explained in a displeased manner. "She doesn't need to know I'm not."

"Fair enough," I nodded. "Thanks for coming to the rescue, yet again. My hero," I sighed dreamily, clapping my heads together under my chin.

"I try," he joked.

"Here you go," public goods said, placing the receipt book on the table. "Have a great day, and come back soon."

"I highly doubt that," I muttered. She gave me the stink eye and I rolled my eyes, turning my head forward to see Edward chuckling softly, a smirk on his face, as he signed the top receipt. I grabbed all of my things and slid out of the booth as he did, and he gestured for me to walk ahead of him.

I faked a sickeningly sweet smile at the waitress as we walked towards the door–take _that_, bitch–acutely aware of his hand placed gently on my lower back as he held open the door from behind me. I thanked him quietly, making my way towards the Volvo as he caught up and walked beside me, and I tightened my jacket around my torso. The wind had picked up quite a bit since we'd walked into the restaurant.

We slipped into the car and buckled up wordlessly as he revved the engine to life, then backed out of the parking space. Flicking on the blinker, he turned into traffic and headed back towards the freeway. I stared out the window, watching the buildings pass.

Still silent.

We merged onto the freeway from the on-ramp and into the flow of traffic. I bit the inside of my cheek and chewed on it, looking down at my hands and fumbling with my fingers. The silence wasn't awkward, by any means, just...tense; both of us waiting to see who was going to break the silence, and what was going to be _said_. Did I want to talk about the kiss just yet? Yes and no. Yes, because I wanted to know what it meant; how he felt about it, and why he even _did_ it in the first place. No, because of those exact reasons.

We were going to be in a car together for at _least_ another eight hours, and I could only imagine how weird it would be to have to sit through that after a long conversation revolving around _feelings_. I didn't do feelings very well, and it just didn't seem like an appropriate conversation to have while sitting in a traffic jam.

I decided to speak up first and said, "So...how 'bout them Seahawks?"

He snorted in laughter and said, "Smooth, Bella," and just like that, everything was back to normal.

*

"Hmm," I hummed, twisting my pursed lips to the side as I tried to think up a question for our game of 'Yes or No'. "Okay," I said finally, snickering softly. "Have you ever watched she-male porn?"

"No!" he shouted, clearly appalled at the idea that I would even _think_ to ask.

"Okay!" I laughed, holding up my hands in surrender as he scowled at me.

"What the _hell_ kind of question is that, Bella? Have you ever watched bestiality porn?" he demanded, his head swinging furiously between the road and me.

"Is that your question?" I laughed, biting my lip and covering my mouth with my hand as his scowl deepened. "Okay, okay, sorry. I was running out of clever things to ask."

"And you figured _that_ would be a good one?" he asked incredulously.

"Naturally," I grinned. "Come on, you're messin' up the flow. It's your turn."

"I can't even think properly after that," he cringed, shaking his head.

"Every party has a pooper that's why we invited you," I started singing loudly, bobbing my head side to side, "party pooper, _party pooper_," I finished, accentuating the final words with gentle pokes to his temple. "Every party has a poop–"

"I thought we agreed you'd _never_ sing in my presence again," he shouted, cutting me off and swatting my hand away.

"It was never a set deal," I quipped.

"I got shit on you, Swan," he smirked. "You might want to reconsider that statement."

I snorted out a laugh and looked at him expectantly. "Oh, and what 'shit', pray tell, do you have on me?"

"I can call up Chief Swan right now and tell him you were involved in the Newton scandal," he said, patting his pocket.

"You do that," I smirked, "'cos then you'll have to tell him how you _know_."

"He already knows, actually."

I whipped my head to the left and stared at him, wide-eyed. "_What_?" I asked slowly.

"The douche called the police station the next morning, and your dad came over to my house. He wanted to see my legs since Newton told him he shot me, and I couldn't exactly cover that up."

"What happened?" I gasped. Why hadn't Charlie told me any of this? More importantly, why had Edward waited _three days_ to tell me?

"Nothing, _obviously_," he chuckled, "but he kind of assumed Jake was the accomplice, so you might want to inform him of that, just in case."

"I can't believe that," I said incredulously. "He just let you slide?"

"Yeah, 'cos I'm awesome," he grinned cheekily. "Honestly, it probably had more to do with the fact that it was in your 'honor', as he referred to it. Not to mention the fact that Newton is stupid, and your dad clearly favors me over him."

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. My Dad is fucking awesome.

*

"I love how you just _assume_ you can touch whatever you want to in my car," Edward said, shaking his head as I hooked up my iPod to the adapter.

"That's because I can," I replied airily, waiting for the menu screen to show up, then scrolling through my playlists.

"That's hardly the point."

"I wasn't even aware you had one," I smirked, glancing at him briefly before turning my attention back to my iPod.

"This behavior would be unacceptable if you weren't...you," he chuckled.

"Okay," I snorted. I bit my lip as I idly scrolled up and down the song list, deliberating on whether or not I wanted to play this particular playlist. Yes, it had some of my favorite songs, but what they represented to me wasn't something I went parading around, and nobody besides me knew of it.

"Are you gonna play the damn music or what?"

"I'm _getting_ to it," I huffed. _Fuck it_, I thought, _it doesn't have to be that big of a deal_. "Okay I'm about to play you something nobody else has ever heard, so feel special."

"I'm jumping in a fit of joy," he replied sarcastically.

"Shut up!" I barked with a laugh, smacking his arm roughly. I selected the first song in the list and hit play, setting my iPod down in the center console and closing it with a smirk as it started.

"Sorry to break it to you, but I've heard the Smashing Pumpkins," he said, raising an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"I didn't mean the songs, _idiot_, I meant the playlist in itself. Now shut up and just _listen_," I demanded, closing my eyes. I began mouthing the lyrics to _Pug_,leaning my head back against the head rest.

"I've always thought that was a sexy song," he said after it ended, "a song I'd wanna fuck to."

I grinned widely, my eyes still closed, and hummed in agreement. Score: 1 for Cullen.

"What the fuck is this?" he groaned as _Sweet Sexy Thing _by Nu Flavor came on. I laughed, reminding him that I said he wasn't getting out of listening to early 90's music. He took it like a big kid, though, and only half-scowled throughout the four minute song.

We listened to the next few in silence. I glanced at him every so often to see if he'd caught on yet, but only found him with a contemplative look on his face every time. At least, until _Slept So Long _by Jay Gordan came on.

"I'm beginning to notice a theme to all these songs," he mused, shifting slightly in his seat.

"Mmm, yeah? And what would this alleged theme be?" I smirked.

"Sex," he stated bluntly.

"Perceptive," I murmured. "Yes, this is deemed my 'fantasy fucking playlist'."

"How thoughtful of you to play it for me while we're _stuck in a_ _car_," he scoffed.

"What's the problem? Is it turning you on?" I joked.

"A little," he admitted.

"Seriously?" I laughed, raising my eyebrows.

"I can't help it!" he defended. "I mean, I'm not sportin' wood or anything, but fuck...it's not exactly the easiest thing trying to concentrate on the road when something is essentially screaming 'SEX!' at you the whole time."

I shrugged and looked out the window, a small smirk on my face.

"I _am_ curious, though," he said as an afterthought. I turned to him, an expectant look on my face, and he continued. "What kind of 'fucking' playlist is this when it doesn't even have _Closer_?"

Score: 1000 for Cullen for having similar tastes in sexy-time music.

"It's on here, don't worry," I said smugly.

He groaned, banging his head back on the headrest, and I chuckled. I refused to apologize for having an effect on him, even if it was only through my music selection. It was oddly empowering, and I liked seeing him squirm. There were only a few more songs on the playlist, but I decided to be generous and switch my iPod to shuffle before _Closer_ came on.

Just to spare him from a boner, of course.

I stared out the window at the darkened sky. I could no longer see the surroundings, not that there was really anything worth looking at anyway. It was after eight—closer to nine—and we still had such a long way to go. I wondered if Edward was serious about me not driving his car. I knew firsthand how men were with their 'babies', as they referred to them, but hell, I hardly wanted to die—and I didn't think he was too fond of the idea either—because he fell asleep behind the wheel, and was too stubborn to let me drive.

"Are you tired?" I asked.

"Nah, are you?"

"Kinda," I replied. That nap I'd taken up until Portland hadn't done me much good, or at least that's how it felt.

"Then go back to—aw, man," he groaned. I looked at him in confusion, furrowing my eyebrows, and noticed the car was starting to slow down. Glancing out the windshield, I noticed a _slew _of cars, all with their brake lights shining as they slowed in what I assumed to be a huge traffic jam.

"Great," I muttered. Fucking traffic.

"Well, you can go back to sleep," Edward grumbled. "S'not like you're really gonna be missing much if this is as big of a jam as I think it is, and I'm pretty positive it is."

"Are you sure?" I questioned. "If you need me to keep you awake, or entertained, or anything, I'm cool to stay awake."

"Don't worry about it," he dismissed, turning his head to me with a small smile. "Go to sleep."

I nodded with a sigh and squirmed in the seat, trying to get into a semi-comfortable position, and closed my eyes. I focused on the music flowing through the speakers and the complete serenity and safety I felt, even though we were stuck in a car.

"You better not write on my face again," I mumbled through a yawn. I faintly remembered Edward laughing and promising not to before I fell asleep.

* * *

_-E-_

I sighed heavily, leaning my head back against the headrest as the traffic finally halted completely on the freeway.

"Fuck it," I muttered, before putting the car in park and pulling my foot off the pedal. It was fucking annoying, not to mention uncomfortable, having to constantly brake for...pretty much absolutely nothing, because it wasn't like anybody was getting very far in this jam.

I rolled my head to the right to look at Bella. Her face was towards me, her eyes closed and lips parted, as she inhaled and exhaled in even, shallow breaths. There were stray strands of hair in her face, her breath blowing them away as she exhaled and bringing them back as she inhaled. I smiled, breathing out a small laugh, and reached over with my left hand, gathering the pieces from her forehead and pushing them behind her ear gently. I traced the contours of her ear softly with my fingers, down to her jawline, and across her chin. Her skin was so soft.

I dropped my hand into my lap, but my gaze never fell from her face. What the hell was going on with me? Somehow, without my knowledge, I went from _never_ being affectionate with Bella to having all these urges to do nothing but touch her, and now, apparently, kiss her. Where had all this come from? It had to have been there before. These sort of things didn't just pop out of your ass one day and make an appearance.

Thinking back, though, I realized that it wasn't exactly true; my not being affectionate with Bella. Since we'd become friends, I'd always managed to find some way to touch her, albeit innocent enough gestures: tugging on her hair; an arm over the shoulder; sitting next to her and brushing my knee or arm against hers. And that didn't even begin to explain the whole 'allergic reaction'. I'd never felt that with anybody else in my life. It was the most odd sensation, but at the same time, it felt natural.

"I'm affectionate like that with Alice, too," I reasoned aloud.

_You don't kiss Alice, though._

"No, but I have," I replied to myself.

_It wasn't because you _wanted_ to. And you never got jealous of guys taking an interest in Alice_.

"Only 'cos I never thought of Alice that...way..." I trailed off, realizing what I was saying. "Ah, _fuck_."

Was I _interested _in Bella now—romantically? I tried to picture it...holding her, kissing her, stripping her down and doing dirty, _dirty_ things to her—

"Gah," I choked, shaking the thoughts out of my head.

_Well, your dick seems to think so_.

Okay, so clearly the thought of being with her didn't repulse me, but that didn't necessarily mean I was into her, right? I mean, what about Adrian? Would I have been so persistent about hooking up with her if I truly wanted to be with Bella all this time?

_Notice how you haven't thought about her, much less attempted to talk to her, the entire break? I wonder why that is._

I'd been busy with...Bella.

I slammed my head against the headrest, digging my palms into my eyes. I didn't need to fucking _think_ about all this bullshit right now. Lifting the center console, I unplugged Bella's iPod and plugged mine into the adapter, scrolling through my artist list until I found Nirvana. I selected the option to play all the songs and stuck the iPod back in the console before closing it.

"Sorry, Bella, but I need this," I sighed, turning the music up slightly and hoping it wouldn't wake her up.

*

Somewhere right outside of Albany—though I never would have guessed we'd made it 25 miles with how damn slow traffic was—I saw a detour sign. I should have known better than to take it when _nobody_ else did, but I was impatient and tired of waiting, so I veered off to the side of the road and took the exit. I figured, if nothing else, I was bound to find another freeway entrance _somewhere_ along the path.

Forty-five minutes later, though, I was still looking for the damn sign. I began to panic. I could always turn around, but the roads had been kind of odd, from what I saw coming up. What if I got us even more...no, I refused to say the word. It just was not acceptable.

"Keep going," I murmured to myself. "There's gotta be an entrance _somewhere_ around here."

Bella snorted softly as I saw her head lift off the head rest. I glanced over at her, and she looked around sleepily.

"Where are we?" she mumbled.

"Detour," I said quickly, shifting my eyes to her then back on the road. "There was...roadwork."

_Really? That's the best you could come up with?_

"Mmm....kay," she sighed, exhaling deeply before falling back to sleep.

Well that was easy.

Unfortunately, the second time she woke she wasn't quite as impressionable—and apparently she was alert enough the _last_ time to remember what time it was when she asked where we were.

"Why are we still on the detour?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes to wake herself up more.

_No, go back to sleep!_

"It's...a long...detour..." I trailed off, not really knowing how else to answer that question.

"A two hour long detour?" she questioned skeptically. "I don't think so."

"Well why else would we still be on it if it wasn't, Bella?" I snapped. She wasn't paying attention to me, though. Instead, her focus was outside the window.

"What the..." she trailed off, squinting her eyes.

"What?" I questioned, slightly concerned.

"What the fuck does that sign say?" she demanded. "Welcome to the town of _Sisters_? We're in a fucking place called _Sisters_, Edward?!" she screeched. I flinched at the intensity of her voice.

_Guess she's not going back to sleep now._

"Just...calm down," I insisted.

"Calm down?! Edward, do you even know where the fuck we are?!"

"...Sisters..."

"_Shut_ the hell up!" she yelled before placing her fingers on her temples and rubbing gently, closing her eyes. "Okay," she said softly, breathing in and out. "Okay, this will be fine. Just tell me where the directions are and I'll try and figure out the map and get us un-lost."

"We're not _lost_, just...misplaced," I argued feebly.

"Directions," she repeated sternly. I pursed my lips, refusing to look at her.

"Edward," she started slowly, "where are the directions?"

I glanced out the window subtly and inched my foot off the gas pedal. If I slowed down about twenty miles per hour, I could probably tumble out of the car with minimal damage once she lunged at me...

"_Edward_!"

"Alright! I don't have any damn directions, Jesus!" I shouted. I expected all hell to break loose, but instead, I was met with silence for a few seconds before she erupted into laughter. I snapped my head over to her in astonishment, glancing back to the road every so often, before chuckling nervously along with her. Her reaction was unsettling, almost as much as if she had have stayed completely silent.

"That's funny," she spat through laughter, wiping under her eyes. "For real, though, where are the directions?"

"I...wasn't kidding," I said slowly. "I didn't print any out."

Her laughter seized immediately, and the dreaded silence ensued.

"Are you kidding me right now?" she said lowly.

"Clearly I'm _not_," I scoffed. Jeez, could she _get_ anymore dense right now?

"Are you _fucking kidding me?!_"

Aaaaand the shrieking was back.

"What kind of fucking moron are you?!" she continued, but didn't give me a chance to reply before answering for me, "Apparently, the kind that _doesn't print out mother fucking directions_!" She accentuated each of the words with a smack on the arm and ended the sentence with a hard smack to the back of my head.

"Hey!" I shouted in protest. "I'm fucking _driving _here!"

"I knew I should have printed out the directions when I looked them up on Mapquest," she huffed, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"Mapquest is a piece of shit. It wastes my ink with unnecessary maps," I argued, because apparently I didn't know when to shut my fucking mouth.

"Those 'unnecessary maps' would have helped us get the fuck out of this place," she snapped, turning to glare at me. "I seriously can't believe you right now."

"Well shit, if it was that damn serious, why didn't _you _print out the fuckers?" I shouted. Her constant ragging on me was growing old, real quick.

"I didn't think you'd be such a dumb ass and not print out any fucking directions at all!" she retorted. "Oh my God, this is all your fault."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that a few _dozen _times," I said sarcastically.

"It's all because of that stupid, _crappy_, fucking kiss," she went on. I slammed on the brakes at that. Call me an idiot all you want, but insulting my kissing skills was crossing the line. It hardly even mattered at this point that what she said made absolutely _no _sense.

"Ex_cuse_ me?" I replied lowly. "You weren't exactly complaining when it happened."

"Oh, just shut up and fucking drive," she hissed, facing forward. "Maybe we'll come across an old shack in this middle of fucking nowhere _town_, where we can ask for directions."

I clenched my jaw and gripped the steering wheel so tightly, my knuckles were ghost white. I had somehow forgotten how infuriating Bitch Bella could be, and being reminded was not a welcomed event. I kept reminding myself that she was my friend—my very _good_ friend—and that it would not be okay to kick her out of my car right then and there, and go off on my own to find a way out of this place.

"Fuck," she hissed.

"What?" I asked in annoyance. I hardly wanted to hear her voice right then.

"I have to pee."

"Oh, fucking brilliant," I snapped. "What the hell do you want me to do, Bella?"

"Pull over!" she yelled. "It came on suddenly, but I can't hold it in!"

"Are you crazy?!" I asked incredulously. "You'll kill yourself out there!"

"Pull _over_ before I piss in your car!" she shrieked. That was enough to get me to listen. I turned the steering wheel harshly, the car squealing to a halt, and she hastily unbuckled herself before throwing the door open and jumping out, running into the trees.

"Mother fuck," I grumbled, grabbing a flashlight out of the glove compartment and turning the car off. She was pissing me the hell off, but I wasn't about to let her get eaten by rabid possums or whatever the fuck was lurking in the abysmal darkness. After climbing out and locking the doors, I shoved my keys in my pocket and turned the flashlight on, shining it from left to right. I stomped towards the semi-forest, peering anxiously around me as leaves and twigs crunched under my feet.

Just as I was about to call out to Bella, I heard a muffled cry and a thud. I whirled around, looking from side to side anxiously, then heard an odd groaning noise.

Oh no. Oh, shit, something got a hold of Bella. A fucking bear, or raccoon—_something_, and I was standing there like a fucking dipshit, allowing it to take her. I looked around for a weapon and spotted a fairly thick tree branch a few feet in front of me. Running over to it, I picked it up, yelled "I'm coming, Bella!" and fled further into the woods.

I heard hissing close by, followed by another thud, and instantly had a terrifying mental image of a fucking python strangling Bella to death. That only drove me to run faster, but I didn't get very far before I stumbled over something. Acting instinctively, I yelled and smacked at it as hard as I could manage with the stick.

"Ouch! _Fuck!_"

* * *

_-B-_

"Gotta piss, gotta piss," I chanted, waddling as fast as I could into the forest. "Ohhh, shit, gotta piss."

I needed to get as far away from Edward as possible. Knowing him, he'd come searching for me within two minutes, and I hardly wanted him to catch me, crouched down, mid-stream. I only made it about sixty seconds in before I couldn't take it anymore, and I leaped behind a tree, hastily undoing and tugging off my pants and underwear before relieving myself.

I sighed, leaning my head back and closing my eyes. Just as I finished up, I heard footsteps. I whirled my head to the side, trying to peer around the tree, but only succeeded in losing my balance and falling forward with an "oomph!" I huffed and pushed myself up quickly. All I needed was for Edward to come strolling up while my bare ass was in the air. I groaned at the thought. How humiliating.

"I'm coming, Bella!" I heard being yelled from a distance, and my eyes bugged out of my head. My fucking worst fear, at the moment, was about to come true, and here I was, still on my hands and knees, butt ass naked from the waist down.

"Shit," I hissed, scrambling upright and grabbing my underwear and pants. I hurriedly tried to step into them, but only succeeded in getting my feet through the legs before falling forward again. I mentally chastised my clumsiness—I didn't have time for this bullshit. I knew it was only a matter of seconds before Edward showed up, and with that thought in mind, I tried my best to wriggle my pants and underwear up. Right as I was about to successfully pull them over my ass, something tripped over me, and before I knew what was happening I felt a sharp sting on my ass, along with a reverberating thwack and yelp sounding through the forest.

"Ouch! _Fuck_!" I shrieked, falling flat on my face once again.

"Bella?" Edward's frantic voice asked, and I heard shuffling next to me before warm hands grasped onto my bare ass firmly.

"You're groping my ass!" I yelled, flipping myself over immediately and yanking my pants and underwear up the rest of the way. Right in the nick of time, too, because it was only seconds later that a flashlight was shining directly in my eyes. I squinted and shielded my eyes with my forearm, demanding he get that thing out of my face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing my arm and helping me stand up. "I heard thuds and sounds of distress...I thought something got a hold of you!"

"I'm fine," I grumbled, swatting away all the leaves and twigs that clung to my clothes. "My ass may not recover, though."

"Ah, shit," he groaned. "Um...sorry...I didn't mean to—I just thought...you weren't answering, and I just acted on instinct, and...oh, God, I violated you, didn't I? Shit, I'm sorry, Bella."

"Dude, chill out," I demanded, grabbing his face in my hands and shaking it gently. "I'm fine. Let's just...go."

He nodded, grabbing onto one of my wrists, and turned around, pulling me along as he held the flashlight out in front of him, leading the way back to the car. I sighed in relief as the clearing opened and the Volvo appeared. At least we weren't lost in a foreign town _and_ its forest.

He let go of my wrist and rounded the side of the car to the drivers side. Oh, hell no.

_I _know_ he doesn't think he's driving again after his dumb ass got us lost here in the first place_.

No, no. I wasn't having that.

* * *

_-E-_

"_I _don't think so, buddy," she shouted, grasping my shoulder and whirling me around to face her.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Give me the keys and get over there," she instructed, nodding towards the passenger side of the car.

"Hell no, are you crazy?" I protested. "I—"

"Edward," she started lowly, "give. me. the. keys. _Now_."

I blinked at her a few times, startled by how _menacing_ she looked at that moment.

"I'm going to listen to you, because quite frankly, you scare me a little, and I think I'd be too tired to hold you off of me if you attacked right now, which you look on the verge of," I rambled, dropping my keys into her awaiting palm. "So, yeah...here."

I scrambled to the passenger side and waited for her to unlock the doors before climbing in and buckling up, staring straight ahead. She adjusted the seat and wheel, then buckled in and turned the ignition.

"No music," she said, pushing the knob on the stereo to turn it off. "We need to concentrate."

I simply nodded in agreement. I was still slightly frightened, and I wasn't about to be the one she went off on (again) for not following her directions.

She started forward, and I tensed up immediately. I wasn't used to anybody else driving my baby, and I was terrified for her—yes, my car is female, and her name is Veta; Veta Volvo—life. I glanced at Bella nervously, contemplating informing her of that, but the look on her face told me I should probably just keep my mouth shut unless I had something useful to say.

I glanced around, just as she did, looking for any sign of civilization. It wasn't until about fifteen minutes later that Bella pointed out a light in the distance. She sped up and as we neared it, both of us sighed in relief as we saw that it was a sign for a Best Western. Without hesitation, she pulled into the parking lot and parked in an open slot before cutting the engine.

"Come on," she said, unbuckling herself and climbing out of the car. I followed suit silently, slamming the car door behind me and shoving my hands in my pockets as I jogged to catch up to her fast-paced steps. She still had a bit of debris from the forest debacle on her back, and I brushed it off, onto the ground, gently. She looked at me quizzically and I said, "Leaves." She nodded, thanking me quietly, before walking through the automatic doors of the hotel and into the lobby.

The woman at the front desk greeted us with a warm smile, asking how she could be of assistance.

"We need to know how to get back on the I-5," Bella said hurriedly.

"You're about 200 something-odd miles away from that, honey," the receptionist replied. I groaned as Bella cursed, throwing her head back. I knew there was no way in hell we would last that long.

"Bella, look," I started. "It's already past eleven. If we keep driving, we're not gonna make it into San Francisco until like, six in the morning," I pointed out, "and I don't think either of us are equipped to make that drive right now."

"Well what the hell do you suggest we do, Edward?" she asked, rubbing her hands over her face. I turned back to the woman at the front desk.

"Are there any rooms available?" I questioned hopefully.

"How many?" she said.

"One," I replied, leaning against the counter on my elbows.

"How many beds?"

"Whatever is available," I said, not really caring at this point. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as Bella made her way over to the desk, mirroring my position.

"We only have rooms with one queen-size bed," the woman said, glancing between Bella and I.

"We'll take it," Bella nodded, whipping out her debit card. I started to protest, but the look she gave me, along with the reminder that I'd promised to let her pay for whatever we needed next at the restaurant, shut me up.

After going through all the check-in formalities and getting a key, I asked Bella for the car keys and instructed her to go upstairs while I got our bags from the trunk. She agreed, dropping the keys in my hands, and I walked out the automatic doors, popping the trunk from the alarm pad. Grabbing both of our suitcases and setting them on the ground, I reached up and closed the trunk before retrieving the bags again and making my way back inside, towards the elevators. We were in room 312, which was fairly close to the elevators, and after slipping the key inside the door and getting the green light, I pushed it open, lugging our bags in and standing them up against the wall.

Bella immediately dove for hers, throwing it on top of the bed, and opened it up. She grabbed a few articles of clothing, muttered something about needing a shower, then disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I sighed, hoisting my bag onto the bed and digging through it for a clean pair of boxers, lounge pants, and a wife beater, deciding I was going to follow suit and take a shower after Bella got out.

I laid down on the bed with my hands folded behind my head, trying to think of anything other than Bella naked, in the shower, but it wasn't working out so well. Lucky for me, she didn't take a long time in there, and my dick stayed half-hard, thus not quite so noticeable. Within five minutes of the water shutting off, she walked out of the bathroom, in a white tank top and loose fitting pajama pants, towel drying her wet hair. I stood up and grabbed my clothes, silently retreating to the bathroom, and closed the door behind me.

My shower was quick and mechanical; simply to get clean. I was suddenly extremely exhausted from the events of the day, namely the events taking place in the last few hours, and I just wanted to climb into bed and pass the fuck out. I climbed out, dried off, then dressed quickly before walking out of the bathroom. Bella was perched against the headboard, TV remote in her hand, flipping through the channels with a bored expression on her face. She looked up at me as I neared the bed and half-smiled before turning off the TV. I rubbed my hands over my face roughly and climbed on the mattress, making my way to the top and flipping over onto my back next to her with a heavy sigh.

"You want covers?" she asked.

"I don't care," I mumbled, throwing my forearm across my eyes. I heard a click and peered from under my arm, seeing that Bella had turned off the light. I felt her shifting next to me on the mattress and sighed, laying my arm next to my side. Suddenly, I felt her warm hand patting up my chest, all the way to my cheek. I turned my head towards her, even though I could barely make out the shape of her face, and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, stroking my cheek gently with her thumb.

"For what?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"For going off like I did," she replied. "I was upset, and that's no excuse, but I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I chuckled, bringing my hand up to rest on top of hers and stroking the top of it with my thumb. I felt her shifting closer, and then I felt her lips pressing hesitantly against mine. I sighed through my nose, pressing my lips more firmly against hers. She pulled away slowly, resuming her strokes against my cheek.

"It wasn't a crappy kiss," she whispered.

"I know," I smirked. She nudged my leg with hers, clucking her tongue, and I chuckled.

"Good night, Edward," she sighed, kissing my lips softly once more before turning over, her back facing me. I turned on my side and scooted closer to her, throwing my arm across her waist and immediately locating my spot between her hips with my hand.

"Good night, Bella," I said softly, kissing the side of her neck before closing my eyes.

*

The next morning we woke up in the same position we'd fallen asleep in. She turned to face me, and we stared at each other for a few moments before cracking the fuck up.

"I can't believe you smacked me in the ass with a _stick_," she cackled. "I think that's gonna leave a mark!"

"I can't believe we're still in a fucking town called _Sisters_," I chortled. The bed was shaking from our laughter, but we couldn't stop. The entire fucking predicament we were in warranted a fuckload of laughter.

After calming down slightly, we got up and got ready to head back on the road. It was a little past 8:30 AM, and if we didn't have any more complications, I estimated we could make it into SF around five that evening.

We gathered our things, double-checked to make sure we didn't miss anything, then headed downstairs to check out. Bella requested that the receptionist print us some directions from the hotel back to her apartment, and I didn't even bother to argue. The last thing we needed was to end up in _Brothers_ next.

Fifteen minutes later, we were pulling out of the hotel—Bella allowed me to drive, though, and again I wondered why I allowed her to be in charge when it was _my_ car—and headed back towards the I-5.

It was a rather boring, two and a half hour drive, but finally we were back on track, this time without any detours, besides stopping for gas—just straight through for another two hundred miles. We joked around, listened to music, and played retarded ass shit like 'I Spy' and a few variations of the license plate game as we drove, and when we approached the billboard showing the 505 freeway towards San Francisco, both of us sighed in relief.

I followed the directions Bella spewed off to a tee from that point on, and a little under two hours later, I was pulling into the driveway of her apartment.

"I've never been so happy to see this shithole," she sighed as I parked in the unloading zone. I chuckled and popped the trunk, hopping out to retrieve her bag. "Thanks for the lift," she smirked.

"Even though you got violated and beaten in the span of sixty seconds," I snorted. We looked at each other, straight-faced, for a few moments before bursting into laughter. She threw her arms around my neck, still chuckling, and I wrapped mine around her back, pulling her flush against me with a content sigh.

"I'll talk to you later," she murmured against my neck. I nodded, rubbing her back gently, before pulling away and running a hand through my hair. I watched as she made her way up to the glass door, punching in the code to unlock it, and turned to wave briefly before disappearing inside.

I climbed back into the car and started the short drive towards the school parking garage. As I sat at the stop light, waiting to turn, I realized for the first time that I hadn't gotten a single phone call all day, which was odd, considering I hadn't called anybody last night before I passed out. I hadn't called anybody today, either, simply being too concerned about getting the fuck back to SF. I wrestled my phone out of my pocket and pressed a random button to light up the screen, but it remained dark. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, pressing a few more buttons, before realizing it was off and pressing the power key. I was almost immediately met with the alert that my battery had died. I groaned as the light changed to green, knowing I was gonna be in for it when I got upstairs.

As I pulled into the parking garage and found a decent spot on the ground floor, much to my surprise, I couldn't bring myself to be too concerned with all the yelling and bitching I was undoubtedly going to endure. I grabbed my bag from the trunk and locked up the car, making my way out of the garage to the automatic doors of the basement. As I waited for the elevator, I recounted the last twenty-four hours. Even though most of the trip was a fucking nightmare, it was probably the most fun I'd had..._ever_. I had prayed for us to make it back alive, and that we did, but I knew going into it that we were going to encounter some fucked up shit along the way, because that's just how things went with us. Bella and I would _never_ have it easy.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**End Notes:** Well, Bella didn't react the way most of you thought she would, hm? Things are starting to progress nicely, if you ask me. You better have laughed your ass off during this chapter, or I will shun you forever. ;) Review, then head over to the forum and discuss. Also, follow me on twitter and/or facebook. Linkage is on the profile page. Oh yeah, there's a poll up on my homepage. Take it!


	23. Chapter 21: Fallin' For You

**Chapter Notes: **Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I adore you all. Thank you to everybody who voted for me in the Twi-Fi Awards; Breaking Bella won the category it was nominated for.

Special thanks to Niki (**infektion**) for giving me tips to clear my mind and finish this chapter, Hannah for constantly giving me her immediate feedback on every single chapter numerous times through the writing process (I know it has to be super annoying, re-reading everything), my super amazing beta, Missy, for being speedy as hell, making the story better with suggestions, and trying to help me in any way possible when I struggle, and _my_ "partner in crime" Brit (**Brits23**) for being hilarious and crackin' me the hell up with plans for booby traps while we're in hiding. Twilighted's Most Wanted, anyone?

Enjoy. xx

**Disclaimer:** What I own: An oddly colored, two-toned binder that is actually growing on me...  
What I don't own: Twilight and all of its affiliates.

* * *

Chapter Song: Fallin' For You – Colbie Caillat

* * *

_-B-_

I laid in bed, on my back with a hand behind my head, staring up at the ceiling. According to my alarm clock, it was after 11 PM; I couldn't sleep. The past 36 hours were playing on repeat, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my brain to shut off.

Immediately after walking through the door earlier that evening, I was pounced on by Angela, then scolded for not informing her of my whereabouts throughout the day. I'd laughed and apologized, telling her I was going to change and unpack, then we'd hang out for the rest of the night. I'd quickly called my parents, and Jake, to let them know I was home safely before starting the task at hand. As I unpacked, though, I'd gotten lost in my thoughts; forgetting about the remaining items in my suitcase. Forty-five minutes later, when Angela had come into my room to see what the hell was taking so long, I was staring distractedly out the window, perched on my bed next to my still-half-full bag.

"What the hell is going on with you?" she'd asked skeptically. As I looked over at her, concern and confusion etched across her face, I had seriously considered spilling the beans about what went down between Edward and me. Just as I'd opened my mouth to speak, I thought better of it and smiled, shaking my head.

"Nothing," I'd replied. "Just tired."

She hardly looked convinced, but had let it go, informing me that we were having pizza for dinner and asking what kind I wanted. One hour later, after I'd finally finished unpacking, we sat on the couch, eating pizza and laughing hysterically at the marathon of South Park episodes on Comedy Central. She didn't bring up the road trip, which I appreciated beyond words; I didn't think I was ready to talk about it out loud just yet. At around ten o'clock, we decided to call it a night, and both of us headed off to bed, but clearly, I couldn't fall asleep...which brings me back to present time.

I sighed heavily, resting a hand on my lower stomach. I couldn't stop thinking about Edward, and it was driving me insane. Why had he kissed me? Why had I kissed _him_ the night before—twice? Why was I still thinking about the damn kiss? Was _he _thinking about it—about _me_? I trailed my fingertips lightly along the exposed skin of my abdomen, a slow grin spreading across my face as I remembered that it was Edward's favorite spot.

I groaned, grabbing my pillow from under my head and pressing it roughly against my face. Now my _body _was reminding me of him? What the fuck was going _on _with me? I was never like this! What, he kissed me, and now all of a sudden I had some sort of school girl crush? It was absurd.

_Edward called me absurd...right after he kissed me..._

"Fuck off," I huffed, tossing my covers off of me and scrambling out of bed. I walked over to my closet and grabbed a jacket, shrugging it on, before making my way to my purse on the desk and rifling through it for my iPod. After retrieving it, I slipped on some shoes then walked into the living room, grabbing my keys off the hook as I walked out the front door. I needed to get out of my head for a bit, and taking a walk in the chilly, night air of San Francisco seemed like it could do the trick.

Bounding down the steps, towards the sidewalk, I popped the buds in my ears and played one of my random playlists. I headed towards campus, figuring that was probably the safest place for a female to be walking around, alone, at night, and in a big city. I couldn't help the smirk that spread across my face as I wondered what Edward would say if he knew, but then I groaned and smacked myself in the head for _still _thinking about him, when this walk was supposed to get my mind _off _of him.

As I neared the dorms, though, and my thoughts went directly to the thirteenth floor of Towers, I realized it was absolutely futile. I doubted there was anything that could get my mind off of him, and truthfully, I kind of liked it. With a sigh, I continued on my walk, making my way towards the quad. If nothing else, I could just sit on one of the benches and take in the scenery.

It was dead on campus, from what I could see, and I silently cursed every resident for being able to sleep while I couldn't. _Stupid Cullen_, I thought, scowling slightly and shoving my hands in my pockets. Hot ass bastard, with his perfect, soft lips and disheveled hair, and big, comforting hands—

"Oomph!" I huffed as I walked right into somebody. I stumbled back, shaking my head slightly. Where the fuck had a _person_ come from? Oh, God, what if it was a rapist? What if Edward's fears were completely legit, and—oh, what the _fuck_? I was about to get violated by some stranger, and the first thing that popped into my head was Edward and his incessant need to protect the female race? What the hell was wrong with me?

_Well, I can always just try and imagine it's him while..._

I suddenly felt my left ear bud being pulled out and an amused, deep voice asking, "Did your face-plant into my chest mess up your equilibrium?"

I looked up quickly, sighing in relief as I saw that it wasn't, in fact, a rapist, but Edward. That relief was short-lived, however, as my heart rate sped up at the sight of him in front of me, and I groaned, throwing my head back.

"Dammit, I took a walk to get _away_ from you," I muttered.

"Well, hello to you too," he scoffed.

"Sorry," I cringed, pulling my other ear bud out and shoving both of them into the pocket of my jacket, "it's not—I just..."

I sighed. What the hell was I supposed to tell him? 'You've been on my mind since the second we parted, barely _six hours ago_, and I'm trying to stop thinking about you'? No, thank you.

"Nevermind," I mumbled finally. "What are you doing out here?"

"Couldn't sleep," he answered, scratching the back of his neck and looking around. "What about you? And why are you walking out here _alone_, at night? Do you _want_ to get kidnapped, Bella?"

"Absolutely," I replied straight-faced. "It's my mission in life, to be abducted by crazy San Franciscans."

"Hilarious," he said, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the arm of my coat gently, tugging me beside him with a soft "Come on, I'm walking you home." I followed without protest.

"So...what have you been up to tonight?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek. He chuckled and shook his head, staring straight ahead as we walked towards the dorms.

"Not much. I got yelled at by about five different people for my phone being dead all day, then I unpacked, got online for a bit, then tried to go to sleep. You see how well that worked out."

I smirked and nodded, stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye. He was wearing basketball shorts and a hoodie with bedroom shoes, but with his unruly hair and the five o'clock shadow I could make out under the lamp posts, he still looked damn fine.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked, looking over at me with raised eyebrows. I could feel my face pale before it began to burn, and I ducked my head, hoping he wouldn't be able to see as I willed my blush to go away. How embarrassing. A few seconds later, when I felt I could _properly_ lie, I lifted my chin confidently and turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked, attempting to feign confusion.

"Give me a break," he laughed, gently pinching my side, "you're not that smooth, Bella."

I smacked his hand away and folded my arms over my chest as my lips twitched into a smile. He was right; I was not smooth in the least, obviously.

"What about you?" he continued as we walked past the entrance to Towers. I relayed my uneventful evening to him, and he commended me for clearly having 'better taste in television than you do in music'. I reminded him of his Sugar Ray infatuation, to which he countered, "They're still better than that 'pennies' band."

He won that round.

When we reached the front of my building, he enveloped me in a hug, and for the first time that night, I felt completely at ease. I wrapped my arms around him, wondering why he suddenly had such an effect on me. I then wondered if maybe it had always been this way, and I'd just shoved it out of the forefront of my mind.

I told him to let me know when he got home, jokingly saying he was turning me into him, and he agreed before starting down the sidewalk.

"Hey," I called out after him, and he turned to face me, walking backwards slowly. "How's your dad?"

He grinned and flipped me off before turning back around and starting back to the dorms. I chuckled, hurrying up the stairs and punching in the security code, then walked through the lobby to my apartment. After hanging up my keys and locking up, I made my way back to my room and kicked off my shoes, throwing my jacket across the desk chair haphazardly, before climbing back into bed. As I was trying to get comfortable, my phone went off, and I immediately dove for it, fumbling with the buttons to open my new text message.

_God, I'm pathetic._

_**I'm home, mother. :P**_

I grinned, rolling onto my back, and hit reply.

_**If I'm mother, that makes you father, and if you're father...well, that may not be such a good thing for you. ;)**_

Yes, it was ballsy, but I wanted to gauge his reaction. I waited with baited breath for my phone to go off again, and when it did, I bit the inside of my cheek nervously before reading his response.

_**Promise? :D Stop trying to text-molest me and go to bed!**_

I laughed loudly, placing a hand against my forehead, before starting my reply, but I didn't even get the first word typed out before another message came through.

_**How pathetic is it that I kinda miss you already?**_

I bit my bottom lip and sighed wistfully, closing my eyes and holding my phone against my chest. He felt it, too. I quickly lifted the phone in front of my face and typed out my reply hurriedly before setting it back down on the side table and staring at it with a grin.

_**Extremely. Especially considering I've missed you since you dropped me off earlier today. Good night. xx **_

~º~º~

The next day was extremely uneventful. Well, at least until mid-morning, when Rosalie called and summoned me to lunch that afternoon. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. I missed the hell out of the girl, but not so much her interrogation tactics—and I _knew_ there was going to be an interrogation. I could feel it. She'd get everything out of me in one sitting, and it scared the crap out of me. I still wasn't ready to talk about the past few days. I couldn't even work out what it all meant in my head, so I certainly didn't want to blurt it out to somebody else.

Unfortunately, as my phone rang at a few minutes past one PM and Rose's name popped up on my screen, I feared I didn't have much of a choice. With a sigh, I grabbed my bag off my desk and started towards the front door, hitting the 'accept call' button.

"Hello?" I answered.

"I'm outside, ho."

"I'm coming," I muttered, digging through my bag for my wallet.

"That's what she said," Rose snickered before hanging up. I snorted and opened my wallet, checking for all my necessities, then snapped it shut, dropping it into my bag along with my phone.

After grabbing my keys, I pressed the lock in on the door and closed it behind me, making my way into the lobby. My anxiety was amplifying with every step I took, and as I walked out of the glass door and down the steps, I was almost positive my lips were quivering as I forced a smile, though it probably looked like more of a grimace.

"Well don't you look pleasant this afternoon," Rosalie mused, quirking an eyebrow as I climbed into the car.

"I doubt it," I chuckled nervously, buckling up. Her eyes narrowed infinitesimally as she stared at me for a few moments, then she grinned, put the car in drive, and zoomed towards the street.

This was going to be the lunch from hell.

*

"So," Rosalie started after the waiter in Val's Restaurant walked away with our orders and menus, "what did you do over break?"

That was a safe enough question. Nothing actually _happened_ over break with Edward; well, except the fact that I'd called him a really hot nerd—that made me wonder when his glasses were going to come in. _Mmm...Edward in glasses. No! Snap out of it!—_and of course, vandalizing Mike's car. I snorted out a laugh as I remembered our artistic talents, and Rosalie stared at me like I'd lost my mind.

"I did something illegal," I finally said, clearing my throat and trying to erase the smile from my face. Her face lit up like I'd just said she won the lottery, and she leaned forward on her elbows, anxiously awaiting elaboration.

"Well, it was Edward's idea," I explained, but the smug smirk on Rosalie's face stopped me from continuing. "What?"

"Edward, hm?"

"Are you deaf? That's what I said," I said coolly. _Don't start_, I pleaded internally, _not yet!_

"Go on," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, there was this guy, Mike Newton—"

"Oh, _God_," she groaned.

"So you've heard of him?" I laughed.

"A little too much," she replied. "Emmett refuses to let me go home with him because of this Newton kid."

"And rightfully so," I said seriously. "I'm not kidding, this guy is like the original version of Yorkie."

"Christ," she laughed, "he's that bad?"

"Worse," I cringed. "He was all over me, I'd hate to see what he'd do to you."

"Emmett would knock his ass out before he got within five feet of me," Rosalie said, waving a dismissive hand in the air.

"I don't know," I replied skeptically, "he hates Emmett and Edward. He's stupid enough to try and get back at them by trying to get with their girlfriends. See exhibit A," I sighed, motioning to myself.

"What do you mean?" she asked, taking a sip of her water.

"Mike was stalking me in the grocery store and he cornered me, so Edward came up and pretended he was my boyfriend—"

Immediately after the words left my mouth, Rosalie choked on her water, spewing it across the table with wide eyes. I jumped, startled, but thankfully most of the water landed on the table, and not on me. _Most _of it.

"Ugh, gross," I said, cringing as I wiped the front of my shirt.

"What was that?" she asked, not even bothering to apologize and ignoring the stares from surrounding tables as she slammed her glass down on the table. "He pretended to be your boyfriend?"

"Yeah..." I said slowly, trailing off.

"_Why_?" she asked incredulously.

"You need a fucking hearing aid," I huffed as she wiped the table down with her napkin. "I just _told _you, Newton was violating my personal space and being a creep, so Edward pretended to be my boyfriend so he'd back off. It didn't exactly work, though."

I waited for her to interrupt me again, but instead she looked at me expectantly, silently urging me to continue.

"I went with my dad to get a few things at this hunting...fishing...outdoorsy shop, I don't know," I rambled, throwing a hand in the air, "and apparently it's owned by the idiot's parents. So I'm trying to avoid him at all costs, and he's helping my dad find something, then all of a sudden he's backed me into a corner with _no_ way to escape! He fucking asked me—and keep in mind, this was _after_ the store fiasco—he asked me out."

"Ew," Rosalie said, scrunching up her nose in distaste.

"That's not even the worst part," I went on. "He asked my _dad_ for permission to ask me out."

"What the fuck? Is he disabled?" she demanded.

"Probably," I snorted, "anyway, when I said no, because I'm 'with' Edward," I went on, making air quotes, "he said, and I quote: 'You can do so much better than Cullen.' And then he proceeded to tell me he's been _told_ he's an upgrade from Edward."

Rosalie guffawed loudly, smacking her hand on the table, and I smirked, wondering if we'd end up getting kicked out of the restaurant for disrupting the peace when I got to the main event.

By the time I had nearly finished explaining the fateful night of the Newton scandal, she was cackling loudly with tears streaming down her face. I wasn't in a much better position, gasping loudly for breath as I continued to attempt to speak.

"And he—he..." I started, but a whole other round of laughter ensued before I could get it out. "He shot Edward in the leg with a bb gun!"

Rosalie howled, waving her hands in the air and shaking her head as she said "Stop, stop, I can't take it," repeatedly, before wrapping her arms around her stomach and hunching over.

The waiter came with our food, causing us to pipe down. We were still quite wound up, though—that much was clear when Rosalie didn't snap at him for staring at us oddly while slowly asking if we needed anything else.

"Oh, God," she said with a grin, "I haven't laughed that hard in ages."

"Tell me about it. I thought it was a real gun until we got to his house, and I was crying, yelling for him to go to the hospital," I chuckled, wiping under my eyes and sniffing before reaching for my fork.

Rosalie bowed her head as her shoulders shook in silent laugher then sighed heavily, straightening up, and began eating. I took that opportunity to ask about her break—mainly to get the focus off of me—and how her parents liked Emmett and Alice. She gushed for a few minutes, which was surprising to me because...well, this was Rosalie, and Rosalie did not _gush._ Then she paused mid-sentence, narrowing her eyes at me, and said, "I know what you're trying to do, bitch, and it won't work...for long"—emphasized with a finger point and all—before she continued on about shopping expeditions with Alice, meeting 'Grammy', and how she would figure out a way to convince Emmett to let her visit him this summer; she had a newfound desire to see Forks and its citizens—one in particular, by the name of Mike Newton.

*

After lunch, we headed to Safeway. Since we had already planned to watch a marathon of cheesy 90's movies for the remainder of the afternoon and evening, we decided to make dinner together—tacos—and we needed to buy the ingredients; Rose also needed to buy a few things to tie her over at her place until she did some proper grocery shopping. It was crowded in the store, so we hurried through the aisles to get what we needed, get through the check out line, and get back out to the car.

Five minutes later, we were pulling up in Rosalie's parking spot—one of the many perks of her location; it was near _everything_. We carried the few bags of groceries into her place, put them away, then made ourselves comfortable on the couch with sodas and a bowl of popcorn as the first movie of the afternoon began—Never Been Kissed.

"Oh man," Rosalie sighed contentedly, halfway through the movie, "Mr. Coulson is so dreamy."

"Totally," I agreed, nodding emphatically. "I wish I'd had a teacher like him in high school."

"I'd have been all over that," she said before belching loudly.

"I'm sure he would have found that _extremely_ sexy," I snickered, tossing a few pieces of popcorn at her head.

"Excuse you, bitch," she laughed, tossing a handful at me, "he might have. Don't ruin my daydreams."

"So sorry," I chortled, dodging more popcorn, "I had no idea your private fantasies surrounded Mr. Coulson."

"Fuck off," she shrieked, "and get off my couch!"

She turned on the couch, her back against one of the arms, and began pushing her feet into my ass in an attempt to shove me off the couch. I yelped and grabbed onto one of her feet, tickling it as efficiently as I could as she screamed through her laughter and tried to get away.

"Okay, okay, you can stay on my couch," she breathed out quickly before letting out another peal of laughter as I continued to tickle her. "Stop! _STOP, I SAID YOU CAN STAY ON MY COUCH, BITCH_!"

"That's what I thought," I said smugly, taking a drink of my soda. She lifted her foot to my shoulder and shoved it roughly, causing soda to spill down my face and onto my shirt.

"Whore!" she yelled, before tucking her feet safely underneath her with a grin.

God, I loved her.

*

At around seven, movie number two ('Clueless') ended, and we decided to finish making dinner—I'd started the rice about fifteen minutes prior, since we'd both started to get hungry—before we began the third, and probably the final, movie. I stirred up the rice, then dug through the cabinets in search of a pot for the canned refried beans (we were too lazy to make _everything_) as Rosalie began browning the hamburger meat.

Within another twenty minutes, everything was cooked, corn tortillas were fried, and tomatoes, onions, and cilantro were chopped up and placed in bowls on the counter, alongside a bag of taco cheese.

"We're probably going to gain five pounds from this, but I don't _care_," Rosalie gushed. "This shit smells fabulous, and I'm gonna eat as much as I can stuff down."

We both made our plates and headed back into the living, drooling the whole way to the couch.

"What movie are you putting in?" I asked, immediately digging in as she placed a DVD on the tray of the player. Fuck waiting for her ass to finish, I was hungry.

"'She's All That', of course," she replied, standing up. I immediately choked on the rice I was swallowing, my eyes bugging out of my head. Rosalie turned around, staring at me with raised eyebrows.

"Take a sip of your drink," she said, walking to the couch and picking up her plate, before sitting down next to me. "You okay now?"

I nodded, clearing my throat as I took a sip of my soda. "Yeah, just went down the wrong pipe."

_Fuck_. It was just my luck that we'd watch this movie. Granted, the evening wouldn't really be complete _without _it, since it was one of the most classic, cheesy 90's movies, but the timing was fucking horrible.

I kept my mouth shut, though; laughing in all the right places and eating the delicious meal, all the while becoming more and more anxious as the dreaded, yet slightly anticipated, stair scene neared. And then, there it was. The beginning notes of the song played and my thoughts immediately drifted away, back to the diner in Salem, Oregon. I remembered him standing up, ushering me out of my seat, and twirling me, dipping me, and then kissing me. I vaguely registered the snort coming from Rosalie as I touched my lips wistfully, dragging my pointer finger across my bottom lip idly.

"Okay, bitch," Rose huffed, followed by a loud smack. I shook myself out of my thoughts, turning to look at her questioningly. That was kind of hard, though, considering I had a huge smile on my face.

"What?" I asked.

"She almost broke off her ankle from tripping on the stairs, and you're over there with a huge cheeser, playing with your mouth off in la-la land."

I slumped slightly, leaning against the arm of the couch, and played with the knee of my pants. "Sorry," I said with a small shrug. "I got distracted."

"Clearly," Rosalie said in an obvious tone. "I know that look, so I know you're keeping something from me. Normally, I wouldn't be too appreciative of that, however...obviously it's not pissing you off or making you sad, so for that, I suppose I can hold out until you're ready to tell me—and you _will_ tell me, slut."

I grinned at her, then threw myself at her dramatically, wrapping my arms around her neck. She protested, pushing on my forehead and leaning away as I puckered my lips, making kissy noises through my laughs. She gave up within ten seconds, though, allowing me to place a huge kiss with a resounding 'smack' against her cheek. She groaned and cringed slightly, but I knew better; she loved that shit.

By the time we finished watching the movie, putting away the food, and cleaning up the kitchen, it was after ten o'clock. She drove me the five miles back to my apartment, reminding me as I exited the car that I owed her for not "forcing whatever the fuck is going on it that head of yours out, because you know I can," before giving me her love and bidding me goodbye.

I strolled through the lobby, trying to waste as much time as possible before going into my apartment. I'd managed to stave off one prying friend, and I was sure I could placate Angela too, but just the same, I didn't feel like dealing with it.

True to her word, Angela came into the living room, hands on hips and an expectant look on her face, after the front door slammed shut.

"Yes?" I drawled, locking up the door and hanging my keys on the hook.

"Spill, woman," she demanded with a small smirk. "Don't think you're getting off that easy."

I walked up to her slowly, not missing her eagerness to know exactly what was going on between myself and Edward as her foot tapped on the carpet impatiently.

"I..." I started, placing my hands on her shoulders, "am going to take a shower. And then I'm going to bed." She started to protest, but I cut her off. "I'll tell you, I promise, but not tonight."

She stared at me skeptically before sighing heavily. "Fine," she grumbled.

"Thatta girl," I chuckled, patting her shoulders. "G'night."

She bid me an unenthusiastic "Night," and I shook my head, making my way to my bedroom. Me and my nosy ass friends.

After a showering and dressing for bed, I plugged my cell phone into the charger, set my alarm for the next day, and turned out the light. I didn't have much of a problem falling asleep.

Unfortunately, I seemed to have a problem _staying_ asleep. Exactly two and a half hours later, I woke up, wide-eyed. I closed my eyes again immediately, refusing to acknowledge what I knew was fact—when I woke up, and was actually _alert_ after waking up, there was no way in hell I was getting back to sleep any time soon. I tried for thirty unsuccessful minutes to fall back to sleep, tossing and turning in my cool bed, before huffing in annoyance, throwing the covers off of my body, and scrambling upright.

"Stupid fucking sleep," I muttered irritably, pulling open my door and making my way towards the kitchen. The part of my brain that dictated sleep seemed to forget, in the span of one week, that I had _school _in the morning, and work in the afternoon. I couldn't afford to be a walking zombie all damn day.

I grabbed a glass out of one of the cabinets and opened the fridge, pulling out the jug of distilled water. I put it back, after filling my glass a little over halfway, and leaned against the counter top, sipping on my water. The only source of light was coming through the kitchen window, by way of the moon. I turned my head and looked out of it, making out the shapes of two people walking across the street. I contemplated going on another walk, but I didn't want to chance running into a certain someone again. It wasn't that I had an issue with _seeing_ him, per-se, but he'd been plaguing my thoughts much more than I cared to admit. I'd be seeing him tomorrow, and I needed this time to myself for preparation.

I finished off my drink and set my glass in the sink before making my way back to my room. After quietly closing my door, I turned my computer on, sitting down at my desk. I spent the next hour scanning through my e-mails—I still had some from over break that I hadn't gotten to the night before—and playing internet games. Finally, I felt my eyes growing heavier, and I shut down the computer, making my way back to my bed. It still took me about fifteen minutes, but I was able to go back to sleep, and _stay_ asleep for the rest of the night.

~º~º~

Classes on Monday seemed to drag on. It was one of those days where, every time I looked at the clock, it felt like fifteen minutes had passed since the last time I had checked, but in actuality it had only been _three_. My two o'clock tutee called in and canceled a few minutes after I'd arrived at work, so I really had no choice but to stick around. I worked on homework I'd been assigned—highly annoying to get homework on the first day back—still constantly checking the time. The hour seemed never ending, but when it was ten minutes to three, and my nerves were in a frenzy, it felt like three had come much too quickly. However, I had a sudden thought. Edward didn't even _have_ Stats until Wednesday; why would he bother to come to his session if he had nothing to work on?

I scrambled out of my seat and rushed out of the room, glancing down the hall quickly, before entering the office straight across the way. Angela looked up and smiled, but it faltered slightly, and she furrowed her eyebrows at my anxious expression.

"Is everything okay?" she asked in concern.

"Fine," I said hurriedly, placing my palms on the desk, "did Edward cancel his session?"

"No," she said slowly, quirking an eyebrow, "is he supposed to?"

"Are you sure?" I pressed, ignoring her question.

"Yes, Bella," she sighed, "I'm positive Edward Cullen has not called in to cancel his session, at least not in the last few hours. And there were no notes left saying he canceled earlier in the day, either. What the hell is the deal? Why are you so concerned?"

"I..."

_Didn't really think that one through, did ya, moron?_

"I just don't want to have to stick around here for another hour if I don't have to," I lied, straightening up and messing with the ends of my hair—I'd worn it down today.

_Not_ for Edward, though.

"Uh huh," Angela said, unconvinced. "You wanna tell me what's going on with you two?"

No, not really.

"It's no—"

"Hello, ladies," I heard from behind me. I whirled around and saw Edward smiling at Angela and I as he walked into the office, towards the desk. "What's goin' on?"

"Nothing," I replied nonchalantly, turning back around to face Angela and giving her a stern look. "Just talkin' to my girl."

Angela rolled her eyes and shook her head, then turned to Edward with a bright smile, asking him how his break was. I narrowed my eyes at her slightly, muttering that I was going back into the tutoring room, and walked back across the hall, taking residency at my desk once more. A few moments later, a backpack was slung into the chair opposite of me, and Edward was pulling out the chair to my left, plopping down in it.

"So how have you been?" he asked enthusiastically. I looked over at him and stared quizzically as he leaned forward on the desk. "I haven't seen you in _ages_."

I chuckled and shook my head. "You're an idiot."

"Yes, well, I am part of the male species," he sighed. "I think it's hereditary."

"Ah, yes," I teased, "that would explain everything."

"Shut it," he smirked, shoving my arm gently.

"So..." I trailed off, biting my bottom lip, "why are you here?"

"Well, it _is _Monday, is it not?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes," I replied, rolling my eyes, "but my _point_ is, you don't have math until _Wednesday_. Therefore, you have nothing to work on _today_."

He smiled, pursing his lips, and scrunched up his nose in the most adorable way before running a hand down his face and sighing heavily. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I stared at him, waiting for him to answer me.

"_Okay_," he started, looking up at me sheepishly, "so I don't exactly _need_ to be here. I just..."

"You just...?" I prodded, my smile getting larger by the second. He ran a hand down his face again, mumbling something as his hands fell over his mouth.

"What was that?" I laughed.

"I said I just wanted to see you, is that okay?!" he replied, exasperated, though a hint of a smile played on his lips. I laughed loudly, throwing my head back, and covered my face with my hands as I felt a blush begin to form. How could any one person be so fucking..._guh_!I just wanted to squeeze his perfect little face.

"Thank you, Bella, for making me repeat that. Now that I sufficiently sound like a total douche..." he trailed off, chuckling.

"_No_, it was super cute," I assured him with a grin as I reached over, pressing my finger into his cheek and swiveling it slightly.

"Yeah, yeah," he smirked, swatting my hand away. "The things I do for you."

I bit my bottom lip and looked away, suddenly extremely shy as I thought to myself, _if only you knew the things you're doing _to _me_.

The hour passed by quickly, both of us teasing each other and joking. We earned a few scowls from the others in the room, but waved them off, resuming our comfortable banter. All too soon, though, it was almost four o'clock.

"Well, thanks for the session, Bella. I learned a _ton_ of stuff," Edward joked with a wink.

"Why wouldn't you? I am an _amazing_ tutor," I said cheekily. "Seriously, though, thanks for coming to keep me company. I'd have been severely bored."

"Anything for my...buddy..." he said, chuckling softly as he looked around, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. _Buddy_? Was he serious? I didn't know what kind of 'buddies' he had, but I sure as hell didn't have any who blackmailed me into dancing with them to my _favorite_ guilty pleasure song, fucking _dipped_ me, then kissed me!

_Don't_ _get mad_, I told myself, _you don't have a right to get mad. It was just a little kiss. No big deal._

"Bella?"

I looked up at him and blinked a few times. Apparently he'd said something that I'd missed during my internal rant.

"Hm?"

"The, ah...the papers?"

"Papers?" I murmured, furrowing my eyebrows. "Oh! The papers, right."

I shuffled through the manilla folder, filled with tutee schedules, until I found Edward's, and pushed them across the table for him to sign. He grabbed my pen and grinned as I protested, leaning over to sign the papers with a slightly furrowed brow. I watched him, slightly amused at how intense he looked just signing and dating a few papers. That was, of course, until his tongue snaked out, gliding across his bottom lip slowly before he bit down on it.

_God, help me..._

"There we go," he said, pushing the pen and papers back to me, then standing up and shrugging his backpack on.

"Thanks," I muttered, shoving the time sheets back into the folder.

"I'll see you...soon," he said slowly. I looked up at him questioningly, but he just smiled, winked, and turned around, making his way out of the room and across the hall.

Boys.

*

I really hated my job sometimes.

I glanced at the clock once again as the walk-in sitting next to me complained that she didn't understand what to do with 'Y'. _Fuck_; I still had ten minutes left.

"I don't really know how else I can explain this to you," I sighed, turning back to the girl. "Seven 'X' minus 'Y' is equal to two hundred, when 'Y' equals seventeen; find 'X'. All you do is _plug in the number_."

"Okay, but _where_?" she asked for the billionth time.

Oh my fucking God, I swear...

"'Y'," I said sternly, slamming my finger over 'Y' in her book. "'Y', 'Y,' 'Y', that's where you put it. You already know that 'Y' is equal to seventeen, so where does the seventeen go?"

She paused for a few moments, staring between the book and her paper, before realization dawned on her face. "Ohhhhh," she said, looking up at me with a grin. "I get it now."

_Yes, after wasting sixty minutes of my life, thank you._

"Awesome!" I said, feigning excitement. She looked back down and hurriedly worked out her problem, and I stared at the side of her head in disdain. Why the fuck had I agreed to tutor people?

The girl continued on with her homework, and finally, _finally_, it was five o'clock and time to get the hell out of here. I bid goodbye to her, as well as other tutees who passed by me on their way to the door, and gathered up my things hurriedly. I scrambled out of the room before Yorkie could get a chance to molest me again—I hadn't forgotten about that shit—and went across the hall to sign out.

"See you at home," I said to Angela as I made my way out of the office.

"Okay," she replied, "and you're telling me what's going on with you and Cullen later!"

"Not on your life," I grinned, before rushing out into the hallway. Halfway down the corridor, I felt my pocket vibrating. I fished my phone out to see I had an alert for a new text message, and unlocked the keypad, opening the message.

_**Creative Arts building. 15 minutes. Room 207.**_

I stared quizzically at my phone, wondering what in the hell Edward could possibly need to show me in the Creative Arts building at five in the evening. Especially since I'd _just_ seen him an hour ago, and he hadn't mentioned anything. I knew better than to question him when he was being vague like that and, with a sigh, continued down the hall and stairs, and out the door. I gripped my straps as I turned the corner on Holloway, walking along the side of the school towards my destination with my mind surprisingly void of any one particular thought. I simply relished in the feel of the breeze on my face and inhaled deeply, taking in my surroundings.

Ten minutes later I was walking in through the street entrance of the building, making my way to the opposite side where the elevators were located. I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for one to open, looking around and biting the inside of my lip. Finally a set of doors opened, and I stepped in with a few other people, hitting the button for the second floor, and leaning against the back of the elevator. When the ding reverberated through the shaft, signaling we'd reached the second floor, I excused myself politely and walked into the corridor, immediately searching for room 207 when doors started appearing.

A few turns later I was standing in front of the correct door, biting my bottom lip as I tried to decide whether to just walk in or knock. I decided on the latter of the two and rapped my knuckles against the wood two times before dropping my hand back down to my side. Not even five seconds later the door swung open to reveal a slightly frazzled looking Edward, and he greeted me quietly before moving aside to let me in. I immediately spotted the piano and my eyes widened before quickly looking to him

"Are you _finally _gonna play for me?" I asked, and he nodded with a small smile, scratching the back of his neck as he closed the door.

"That was the plan," he said. I grinned widely and bit my bottom lip, dropping my bag unceremoniously on the ground and walking quickly to the closest chair, plopping down.

"Go on then," I urged excitedly.

"Why are you sitting there?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow as he walked to the piano..

"Where else would I sit?"

"On the bench, with me," he chuckled. "Unless you don't want to, then it's fine."

"No, no," I said hurriedly, standing up and making my way towards him. "I just didn't know if you'd be able to play with my sitting there too."

"I can reposition the bench," he shrugged, sitting down on the far left side and scooting the bench so that he was placed directly in the middle. "See? All good. Now sit."

I sat down next to him, facing the piano, and squirmed in anticipation as he cracked his knuckles, placed his fingers over the keys, and exhaled heavily. His fingers hovered, though, never pressing down, and I glanced at him curiously. He was biting the inside of his cheek, his eyebrows furrowed, and his posture was extremely stiff. For the first time since I'd known him, Edward Cullen looked _nervous_.

"Hey," I started softly, "if it's that serious, don't worry about it. You can record yourself and play it back for me or something."

"No," he replied sternly, shaking his head, "I'm fine. I'm not usually this nervous," he chuckled before sighing once again. "Okay."

I turned my attention back to his hands and leaned forward slightly as his fingers lifted infinitesimally before pressing down onto the keys. My heart leapt in my chest then swelled as the familiar flourish of notes sounded throughout the room; realization dawning on me as I closed my eyes and bit my lip.

He'd re-learned _Un Sospiro_. For _me_.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts and opened my eyes. I wanted—no, I _needed _to see him play this. He swayed slightly, side to side and occasionally forward then back, as he exerted the perfect amount of pressure on each and every note. The crescendos and decrescendos were perfectly placed as he slowed and sped the tempo to his own inclination, giving the piece more emotion than I thought possible.

He cursed under his breath a few times, most likely from hitting a wrong note, but I didn't notice the mistakes. All I could focus on was the intense passion that flowed through his fingertips as they danced in a seemingly effortless manner across the keys. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, yet I'd never seen him more at peace than he was right now, in this moment. All of it; absolutely every single note, right or wrong, was beautiful.

_He _was beautiful.

The song trailed off into its final few notes, and then he sat completely still, his eyes closing as his fingers relaxed against the keys. I continued staring at his face, and the room was filled with a silence so precious that I couldn't bear to be the one to break it. Finally he turned towards me, opening his eyes, and my breath hitched in my throat. He was looking at me so intensely, his jaw clenching, and my eyes flitted across his face. Suddenly, and ever so slowly, I was leaning into him, and even if I had wanted to I couldn't fight it. It was a magnetic pull and, judging from the way he was leaning into me, he could feel it too. By the time our noses touched, my breathing had sped at an alarming rate. I could feel his breath fanning my face, and I leaned my forehead against his, swallowing hard.

"What are we doing?" I whispered, licking my lips yet never averting my gaze from his.

"I don't know," he replied back just as soft, and I could practically feel his lips brushing against mine as he spoke.

My heart was pounding against my ribcage. He closed his eyes tightly, and at the same moment I felt his hand snake up my arm, leaving goosebumps in its trail though his touch set my skin on fire. He cupped the back of my neck gently, and I mimicked his movements, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He shuddered slightly and opened his eyes, his thumb rubbing my skin gently. He searched my face as he reached up to tuck a stray bit of hair behind my ear before resting his hand on my neck again.

"Just do it," I pleaded, shaking my head slightly and closing my eyes. He didn't need any more reinforcement before moving the half inch forward and pressing his lips to mine softly. After a few lingering moments he pulled away, but no more than a few seconds later he kissed me a second time, more firmly. Our heads tilted at precisely the same time, deepening the kiss as our tongues tangled in such a perfect way that if I hadn't been sitting down, I would have collapsed right then and there. Butterflies were fluttering wildly in my stomach and I wrapped my arms around his neck before fisting his hair in one of my hands, pressing my chest against his as I relaxed against him and exhaled through my nose.

Our first kiss had nothing on this one. While it was still amazing, it had been a complete surprise. This one, though; this, we both craved, and it was so much more intense than the last. I'd never been more in sync, felt so compatible, with another person. No kiss had ever affected me the way this one did.

His hand dropped from my neck and his arms wrapped tightly around my back, and when he groaned into my mouth, I almost came completely undone. I had never been so turned on, much less from _just _a kiss, in my entire life, and I never wanted the feeling to end.

All too soon we parted, and he rested his forehead against mine once more, panting for breath. His hands ran up and down my sides gently, as my fingers resumed playing with the hair on the nape of his neck.

"What's happening?" he asked softly, his beautiful green eyes boring into mine. I shook my head and swallowed thickly, licking my lips.

"Does it matter?" I replied.

_Say it matters._

"Yes," he said immediately, bringing one of his hands up to my face and cupping my cheek. I exhaled heavily, not realizing I was holding my breath. "But not right now."

"Kiss me again," I breathed, tightening my grip on his neck.

He didn't have to be asked twice, and within milliseconds, his lips were connected with mine again in the most perfect way.

And it was heaven.

* * *

**End Notes**: Review, vote in the poll on my profile page, head over to the thread and discuss, and follow me on twitter/add me on facebook, if you want. All the linkage is on my profile page.


	24. Chapter 22: Completely Fucked

**Chapter Notes:** Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed. I appreciate your support and kind words more than you know. As always, thank you to my amazing beta, Missy, who's been so fucking...amazingly supportive of me and everything I do. I don't even know what I'd do without her as my beta! Thank you to Hannah for being my wingman, and always being there for me in every aspect of my life; I couldn't write this story without her.

I have an important announcement. I could go into ample detail, giving you specific rhymes and/or reasons as to why I'm doing this, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn't really matter; I'm set on my decision, and that's that. After this post, I'm going on an indefinite hiatus from Breaking Bella. I want to make it clear that I'm **_not _**giving up on this story, and I'm going to keep writing it, but I'm not going to resume posting until the entire story is complete. Again, please allow me to stress that my leave is **indefinite**. Please don't PM me or review, asking me when I'll have the story finished, or when I'm going to update again, because I don't know how long it will take me to finish it. I have a pretty set plot outline from here on out and I intend to stick to it as closely as possible, but I want to take my time with it. Once I resume posting again, I'm pretty positive I won't be posting on a set schedule anymore; just whenever I feel like it--that's a plus, right? :) I'll be working on other stories--yes, stor_ies_--in the meantime as well, so keep an eye out for anything else I may write and/or post.

Again, thank you for all of your support. I'm pretty positive I'm going to lose readers over this, especially considering where this chapter is ending, and...that sucks, but I've prepared myself for it. I know I'll still have readers who will stick around for however long it takes, and for that, I'm truly appreciative and can't find it in myself to complain. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm officially going into hiding with Brit (**Brits23**). Enjoy. xx

**Disclaimer: **What I own: An exceptional ability to piss everybody off.  
What I do not own: Twilight and/or any affiliates.

_

* * *

_If You're Gone - Matchbox 20_

* * *

-E-_

I was completely and utterly fucked; that much I knew. In that moment, though, as I kissed Bella with such an intensity—one I didn't even know I _possessed_ anymore—I couldn't bring myself to care. I'd worry about the details later. All that mattered right then was she and I, and the way this felt. I almost had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Here I was, sporting a major hard on—one that was brought on by practically sucking the face off the girl who formerly made me want to rip my brain out of my skull, just so I wouldn't have to listen to her bitching—and I was fucking loving it.

"_And I sweeeear, by the moon and the stars in the sky, I'll be there..._"

We jumped apart, startled, as the song broke the silence of the room. Staring at each other, wide-eyed, we immediately started laughing. Fucking figures.

"Are you gonna answer that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Wonder who she assigned _that_ gay ass ringtone to?

"Uh, that's...not mine," she snickered, covering her mouth with her hand and staring at me with a raised eyebrow. The song had stopped playing, and I stared at her skeptically as I fished my phone out of my pocket, shifting uncomfortably since I was still ridiculously hard. The ringtone resumed, and much to my chagrin, my screen lit up, flashing Jasper's name.

"What the..." I said loudly, staring down at it with my face screwed up in confusion. Bella laughed loudly, and I looked up at her, unamused, as I pressed the accept button.

"Yeah?" I asked in annoyance.

"Hello to you too, sunshine," Jasper scoffed.

"Why do I have some gay ass song assigned to you?" I demanded.

"How the hell should I know?" he retorted. "It's _your_ phone."

"I don't even know what it is," I argued. "Some shit about mooning."

"Aw, you shouldn't have," he cooed teasingly.

"I _didn't_," I said, rolling my eyes as I stood slightly to straddle the piano bench, before sitting back down; my dick was officially flaccid. Damn buzz kills. "What do you want?"

"Emmett told me to call and ask if you want to go to Naan-N-Curry with us," he replied.

"When?" I asked, glancing up at Bella, who was lightly running her nails up and down her forearm as she looked around the room. I smiled, leaning forward and placing a kiss on her cheek. She turned her face towards me, a small smile on her lips as she looked at me questioningly. I pulled the lower half of the phone away from my mouth, vaguely registering Jasper's muffled voice as he told me to hold on, and captured Bella's mouth with mine.

We both sighed as our tongues made contact, and I bit back a moan as I felt her hands rest against my thighs, slowly inching up as she leaned towards me. Like a fucking amateur, I was sportin' wood within seconds. I pulled away slightly, sucking her bottom lip into my mouth gently before capturing it with my teeth and tugging on it. She gasped, her eyes flying open, and I released it with a smirk.

"Shh," I said softly, before she scooted forward quickly and attacked my mouth again, throwing her arms around my neck tightly. I completely forgot about my phone call, lowering my arms and securing them behind her back. Her hands fisted into my hair, tugging on it gently, and I couldn't suppress a moan this time.

_God, this feels fucking amazing._

Bella suddenly inhaled sharply and pulled away, and I opened my eyes, staring back at her in confusion.

"Your phone," she mouthed, nodding her head towards the hand that was still loosely grasping the device. My eyes widened and I quickly released her, fumbling with my phone as I brought it back up to my ear quickly.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD-OOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" was being shouted from the other end. I cringed, pulling it away from my ear to spare my hearing.

"Sorry, sorry," I said after the screaming stopped.

_God damn, mother fucking, cock-blocking, assholes..._

"Christ, fucking ten years later," Emmett's voice boomed. "What the fuck were you doing?"

"What the hell do _you_ want?" I asked, changing the subject quickly. "I was under the impression this was Jasper's phone."

"You weren't answering, dumbass," he shouted. "I knew I could get your attention, though."

"Yeah, yeah," I grunted. "When are you guys leaving?"

"Whenever you get home," he replied. "You're driving, idiot."

"Then you're paying for my meal, asshole," I retorted.

"Whatever," he said nonchalantly. "Hey, what's this I hear about mooning?"

"Fuck off," I chuckled. "I'll be home in a bit."

"Alright. Hey, Edward?"

"What?"

"I sweeear," he started singing, "by the moon and the stars—"

"You piece of shit! You put that song on my phone, didn't you? I'm gonna kick your ass!" I yelled, and he barked out a laugh before ending the call.

"Mother fucker," I mumbled, shoving my phone back into my pocket. Bella chuckled, and I looked up at her, rolling my eyes as a small smile formed on my lips. She leaned forward, placing a few chaste kisses on my mouth.

"I didn't know you were a fan of All 4 One," she whispered against my lips. I groaned, lowering my forehead to her shoulder.

"I'm gonna kick Emmett's ass," I mumbled, then straightened back up. She chuckled, tilting her head to the side, and I grinned crookedly as I stared at her face.

"What?" she asked. I simply shook my head, reaching up to brush a few wisps of hair out of her eyes.

"I gotta go," I said.

"Yeah, I should probably head home too," she mused, before standing up and stretching. I stared at the exposed sliver of skin as her jacket rode up slightly. I was so tempted to reach out and run my fingers across it, but I didn't know if that'd be crossing a line. She decided for me, though, by lowering her arms and bending down to grab her bag...which diverted my attention to her perfect little ass.

_Just one squeeze isn't a big deal, right?_

I shook my head slightly, willing those thoughts away. She wasn't my girlfriend—I didn't have a right to do that. It was disrespectful, and I most definitely respected her. With a sigh, I followed suit, standing up and grabbing my bag, shrugging it on.

"After you," I said after opening the door.

"Always the gentleman," she teased, walking into the hall. I snorted; if she could read minds, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be conscious right now. With her back to me, I quickly looked down and adjusted myself before following behind her, allowing the door to slam shut. I wasn't hard anymore, but after two consecutive boners, something was bound to be out of place.

We walked down the stairs and through the first floor of the building in comfortable silence, heading out of the doors and onto campus grounds. I pulled out my phone and text messaged Emmett, telling him to meet me at the basement entrance of the dorms in ten minutes, before shoving it back into my pocket and pursing my lips.

"So..." she trailed off, as we walked side by side, towards the Humanities building.

"So..." I repeated, my lips twitching into a smirk as I glanced sideways at her. "How's Jessica?"

She snorted and turned her face towards me, giving me a look that clearly said '_Does it look like I give a fuck?_'

"Just trying to make conversation," I laughed, holding my hands up in surrender.

"If you think that's appropriate conversation right now, maybe you should take another semester of speech," she said, shaking her head with a small smile.

"You know I'm just messin' with you," I replied, slinging my arm around her shoulders.

"Mmmhm," she hummed. "Anyway, where are you off to?"

"Going to eat Indian food with Emmett and Jazz. Wanna come?" I offered. I was pretty sure they wouldn't mind, since they adored Bella too.

"Nah, I have to start on a paper for English," she sighed. "Thanks anyway."

I nodded and removed my arm from around her, slowing my strides as we approached the stairs leading down to the parking garage. She slowed down as well, facing me, and looked up at me with a smile.

"Alright then," she started, rocking back and forth on her heels and fumbling with her fingers.

"Yup," I replied, popping the 'p'. Why was it that I suddenly had _no_ idea what to say to her? The lines were all blurred, and I had no idea what was an acceptable way to bid her goodbye anymore. Should I hug her, like I always did, or did she want me to kiss her? I searched her face, trying to find the answer, but all I saw was her biting on her bottom lip.

_Look away, dammit! I refuse to get a boner in public._

I sighed and looked over her head, narrowing my eyes slightly as I tried to calm myself down. She cleared her throat just then, and I looked back down at her face, thankful her bottom lip was not captured between her teeth.

_I'd rather have it between mine, anyway..._

I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing I probably looked like a fucking tool, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. I had to keep my dick in line, and she was _not_ helping matters any.

"Right," she said softly. "Okay, I'm gonna go, so...bye."

"Bye," I replied just as soft, nodding my head. She stared at me for a few more seconds, hesitating, before slowly turning around and walking away. Why did she hesitate? Didn't that generally mean a girl wanted to be kissed? I was so fucking out of the loop when it came to this shit. I decided right then that, given the fact that she'd already kissed me multiple times today, she probably wouldn't knee me in the nuts for pulling her back for one more, even if we were in public now.

With a sigh, I reached out and grabbed her bag with a smirk, pulling her back to me. She stumbled a bit before regaining her balance and turning around to face me. I stepped closer to her, grinning crookedly as she swallowed thickly, and I cupped her face in my hands; my fingers sliding beneath her hair. I tilted her chin up slightly and stroked her cheeks a few times with my thumbs before lowering my mouth to hers softly. Her hands came up to rest on my wrists, and I pecked her lips a few more times before pulling away.

"I'll talk to you later," I murmured. She nodded, waving with a slightly dazed look on her face, before turning around and walking towards her apartment. I watched after her until she disappeared around the corner, then made my way down the mass amounts of stairs leading down to the parking garage.

Oh yeah. I was completely, totally, and utterly _fucked_.

*

"School is pissing me off," Emmett stated bluntly, sliding onto the stool at the table we'd chosen. I snorted, lifting my straw to my mouth for a sip of Coke.

"Why am I not surprised by that?" Jasper mused. I grinned, nodding in agreement, before turning my attention back to Emmett with raised eyebrows.

"Care to elaborate?" I asked.

"I hate business," he grunted. "I hate all the classes I have to take for it. I don't even know why I put that down as my major."

"Same reason everybody else does," I shrugged. "Couldn't think of anything else." Jasper snickered, earning a glare from Emmett, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm being serious for once," Emmett said, slapping his palm against the table forcefully.

"So change your major if you're not happy with it," I said. "Be a P.E. teacher or something."

"Fuck no," he protested, looking at my like I was crazy. "I'd smack the hell out of those kids every day."

I paused for a moment before grunting in agreement. Emmett was loud, and he was big, which automatically made people listen to him. However, once people got to know him, they knew they hardly had anything to worry about. He'd have a hard time trying to control delinquents.

"Talk to a career counselor," Jasper suggested. "They have all kinds of tests and shit that can help you figure out what careers fit your personality the best."

Emmett nodded, silently contemplating the idea. Our numbers were called for our food, finally, and we all got up, making our way to the counter to pick up our dishes.

"This garlic naan is the shit," Emmett said, tearing off a piece and stuffing it in his mouth before we even sat down. Jasper and I were much more civilized and waited until we were back at the table to start digging in, and conversation ceased, for the most part, as the three of us enjoyed the spicy goodness that was Indian food.

My phone started ringing halfway through the meal, and I grinned, recognizing the ring tone, before fishing it out of my pocket and hitting the accept button.

"Hey Ali," I greeted, shoving a piece of masala-soaked naan into my mouth. "What's up?"

"Nothing, what are you doing?"

"Out to dinner with Em and Jazz."

"We're hanging out after you're finished," she stated.

"Okay," I chuckled, "what are we gonna do?"

"Minor details," she responded airily. "We'll figure it out. See you in an hour."

She hung up immediately and I smirked, shaking my head as I put my phone back in my pocket.

"She's crazy," I said, looking between Emmett and Jasper.

"And that's why we love her," Jasper replied.

He couldn't have been more right.

*

It was hell trying to find a parking space in the garage, but I finally found one on the third level.

"Christ," Emmett muttered as we made our way to the elevators. "I died and reincarnated as that parking space in the time it took us to get out of there."

"Then I appreciate your consideration," I said, slapping him on the back.

We rode down to the ground level and made our way out of the garage, up the stairs to the basement dorm entrance, and into the elevator. I got out at the lobby, bidding the guys goodbye—Alice had text messaged me and said she was about ten minutes from the school, so I started towards the front of campus to meet her.

The MUNI was within seeing distance as I reached the HSS building, and I was only waiting for a few minutes before I spotted her step off the train. I smiled; she was very well the shortest person in the crowd, but she stood out the most. She flitted across the street and over to me, immediately jumping into my outstretched arms and wrapping her short little legs around my waist as I held her to me, spinning around a few times.

"It's only been a week since I saw you, but it feels like months," she laughed, lowering her legs as I bent over to set her on the ground.

"I know. I'm just that missable," I joked, ruffling her hair slightly. She pinched my upper arm and I yelped, rubbing the tender spot.

"Don't fuck with my hair," she said warningly, pointing a finger up at me.

That's my girl.

"Where's the Volvo?" she continued, grabbing my arm and pulling me along as she started walking along the sidewalk.

"In the parking garage," I said, "and before you ask, we're not driving it anywhere. It was a bitch trying to figure out where to park as it is."

"Fine," she drawled, huffing slightly. "I just miss that car."

"It's not going away tomorrow, you big baby," I teased, nudging her with my elbow.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, lets go down to North Beach," she suggested, halting her steps and turning to face me. I nodded in agreement, and we retraced our steps back to the front of the school, then crossed the street to wait at the station.

We boarded the crowded MUNI and, due to lack of seats, were forced to stand. I reached up, grabbing onto the overhead rails, and Alice wrapped her arms around my middle since I was the closest thing she could reach to keep her upright as the train jerked on the tracks. We rode to the Montgomery station in comfortable silence, mainly because there wasn't much of a point attempting to hold a conversation while on a screeching train full of random strangers, then headed out of the station, towards the appropriate bus stop. Ten minutes later, we were walking the streets of North Beach, the sky rapidly changing colors as the sun descended.

"So tell me about your break," Alice said, a small smile on her lips.

"I already have," I replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Not all of it," she quipped in a sing-song voice, glancing over at me knowingly. I sighed. Of course, she _would_ have seen me kiss Bella.

"I've told you everything pertaining to my break," I answered, and it was the honest truth. I hardly counted the drive back as part of my break. It was stressful as hell.

"Okay then," she started, "why don't you tell me about the piano room this afternoon?"

"Clearly, if you're bringing it up, there's nothing to tell," I said coolly.

"Edward, I _know—_"

"Alice, if the only reason you wanted to hang out tonight was to fish information out of me, I'll take you home right now," I snapped. "I'm not talking about it."

She was silent for a few minutes before murmuring "I'm sorry," softly. I sighed, instantly feeling bad for snapping at her, and told her it was okay.

"It's just been so long," she continued. "I want you to talk to me about these things, even if I know them ahead of time."

"And I will," I assured her, shoving my hands into my pockets, "but I need to sort through it all in my head before you start spouting off your opinions."

She nodded in understanding, apologized once more and promised not to bring the subject up again, before hooking her arm through mine and launching into an in-depth conversation about her break. I looked down at her with a smile, watching her animated explanations of quality time with Jasper to playing Scrabble with Grammy and Emmett in complete adoration.

We strolled around until a little after eight that night before heading back. I walked her up to her dorm as usual, hugging her goodbye and making sure she was safely inside, then made the half hour trip back to the school alone. After walking through campus to Towers and making my way back to my dorm, I showered and changed for bed, then made my way into the living room to watch 'Superbad' with Emmett and Jasper. When the movie ended, we went to our respective beds and settled in for the night.

*

Tuesdays sucked almost as much as Mondays did, as a general rule. Normally I had Ben to entertain me in Physics at least _some _of the time, but he had text messaged me before class, telling me he was skipping out and to take good notes so he could copy. I'd begrudgingly agreed—not before telling him what a horrible friend he was for practically leaving me alone with Igor—and spent the entirety of class brooding and checking the clock every five seconds. Finally he dismissed us, and everybody hurriedly packed up with long faces due to the chapter we'd been assigned to read by Thursday.

I sighed and stood up, shrugging the straps of my bag over my shoulders, before shuffling out of the row and down the steps with the crowd of students, headed for the door.

"Hey Edward."

I looked over my right shoulder, then my left, to see a girl smiling at me, her book bag slung over her shoulder. She looked slightly familiar, and then I realized she was the girl from the shuttle stop in front of the dorms.

_Shit, what's her name?_

"Hey...Em—Emma...right?" I said, furrowing my eyebrows slightly and hoping I got it right, otherwise I'd sound like a total dick.

"Right," she grinned with a nod. I sighed in relief and offered her a smile, nodding towards the door and gesturing for her to walk along with me. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay," I nodded, "how was your break?"

"Boring," she replied, "and very much welcomed. Yours?"

"Mine was...much different than I'd initially thought it would be," I mused, staring ahead with a small smirk. That was the understatement of the century.

"Sounds interesting," she chuckled. "Maybe we can talk about it over coffee?"

I stopped at the stairs, turning to look at her in bewilderment. She didn't waste any time, did she?

"Oh, and before you ask, I have a fiancé; this is a strictly platonic offer for coffee and chatter," she added with a small smirk.

"Okay," I said, breathing out a laugh and running a hand through my hair. "No offense, but if you have a fiancé, why are you being so...forward with me?"

"Have you ever felt like you needed to talk to a person?" she asked. "Like, you just..._know_ that, for some reason, you're supposed to?"

"No," I said slowly, staring at her in confusion. She laughed, fixing the strap of her bag, and tilted her head to the side, regarding me with thoughtful eyes.

"Well I have," she replied. "Not many times, but I have, and I feel that with you. And don't look at me like I'm crazy," she scolded playfully. I laughed and shook my head.

"I'm not, I just don't get it," I said honestly. "But coffee can't hurt. Do you have a class after this?"

"Not until tonight," she replied, "you?"

"Work at six, but until then, I'm free. Café Rosso?"

"Sold," she grinned, before starting down the stairs to the first floor of the building with me following behind.

We exchanged the basic information on the way there (she was 25, a Biology major, had been with her fiancé, Brian, for four years, and was a bay area native), and chatted about the ever-changing San Francisco weather; today, it was perfect, tomorrow it would probably be overcast and misty.

We barely had to wait in line before we were both able to go up to the counter, order and pay for our drinks. We took residency at one of the tables towards the back of the seating area, with a canopy umbrella perched overhead. No sooner did we make ourselves comfortable, though, our orders were called, and I hopped up to retrieve them before making my way back to our table, handing her coffee over with a smile.

"Okay," she grinned, "so let's talk about your spring break, shall we? What made it different than you'd expected?"

"Well, for starters, my best friends are usually _home_ for spring break, and they weren't this time. However, one of my friends from here visited her dad, who coincidentally is the Chief of Police where I'm from, so we hung out...a lot," I laughed lightly, shaking my head, before taking a sip of my coffee. Random moments from our hangouts popped into my head; grocery shopping, fucking up Newton's car, Seattle, sitting on my couch and holding her while she cried (because she thought I was seriously hurt), the drive home, the kiss...

"I know that look," she said teasingly. I looked up at her questioningly, suddenly becoming acutely aware that I had a shit eating grin on my face.

"What look?" I asked, bringing the coffee cup up to my mouth and taking a sip of the quickly cooling liquid in an attempt to mask my smile.

"That far-away look, always accompanied with that huge smile you're trying to hide," she smirked. "You've got it bad."

"What? No," I replied, shaking my head. She looked at me pointedly, and I had to admit that my objection sounded unconvincing, even to my ears. "It's...complicated."

"It always is," she said, taking a swig of her coffee, "although I find that, most of the time, it's _people_ who complicate the situation."

"I won't argue that," I sighed. I definitely couldn't say it was anybody's fault but my own that I was in this predicament; this not knowing what I feel and for whom, and it was frustrating beyond belief.

"Talk," Emma demanded. And talk, I did. Almost immediately, the entire story, from Bella's and my initial relationship to what it was now, and the whole situation with Adrian—excluding the part about her being my lab instructor—poured out of my mouth before my brain had a chance to catch up with it and shut me up. By the time I actually realized I'd basically told her my life story, I was already done.

I stared blankly ahead, my mouth slightly agape, before muttering, "Wow." I hadn't even realized the extent of the mess I'd made, much less my subconscious need to talk about it until she suggested it.

"It's a gift," she said, seeming to know exactly what I was talking about. "People just talk to me. I would have gone into Psychology, but I hate the subject."

"That would make it difficult," I smirked with a nod.

"Mm," she hummed finishing off her coffee. "Well, that's quite a predicament you've got yourself in."

"Tell me about it," I muttered, spinning my empty plastic cup idly between my hands.

"It seems to me that you're having a difficult time separating your attraction to Adrian from your attraction to Bella," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows slightly.

"You're so busy trying to compare the two that you're not seeing how completely _different_ they are."

I quirked an eyebrow, silently telling her I still didn't quite understand what she was getting at.

"You have a physical attraction to both, obviously," she explained, "but Bella is already close to your heart, so you have that emotional attraction to her; that _connection _that you're trying desperately to seek out with Adrian. The right choice is clear as day to me, just from the way you talk about them, but that aside...this is about _you_. You have to be the one to figure it out, and nobody but you can make that decision."

"That's the _problem_," I groaned, "I don't know _how_. I haven't even _talked_ to Adrian, and everything that has happened with Bella happened quite a bit after what happened with Adrian."

"Okay," she sighed. "I feel like a bad person for suggesting this, but I can't really see any other way."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to think of something she could suggest in _this_ situation that would make her seem like a bad person, but I was drawing a blank.

"You know how you felt when you kissed Bella," she continued, and I nodded. "That intensity you felt with her, that draw, that connection. If you felt that with Adrian, clearly you're not remembering it, so the only way I can think to really help you distinguish one girl from the other to make up your mind is to kiss Adrian again."

"And suggesting that would make you a bad person...how?" I laughed, raising my eyebrows.

"I feel like I'm telling you to two-time the girls!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not dating either one of them," I pointed out. "And either way, something bad is going to come of it."

"I know, I know," she sighed. "I just don't think you're going to come to a realization any time soon otherwise, and better kissing than screwing."

"Yeah, I guess," I chuckled. "This has become so much more confusing than I could have ever imagined."

"That's life," she shrugged.

"I'm gonna do it tomorrow," I said, nodding determinedly. "I don't want to keep stewing over this. I need to know."

"I think you already do," she reasoned, "you're just too afraid to admit it to yourself."

*

I'd been incredibly distracted all night at work, and I hadn't done a good job in the least at hiding it. Ashlyn smacked me in the head numerous times during my shift, telling me to get my head out of my ass and work. I couldn't get my conversation with Emma off my mind.

I laid in bed, playing over Emma's words in my head yet again . Did I really know what I wanted—_who_ I wanted? I still felt just as confused as ever. I figured that, if I truly did know, I wouldn't be having this internal turmoil trying to figure out what the hell to do.

Emmett snored loudly, briefly waking himself up, before he turned over and fell back to sleep and resumed his normal volume of snores.

"You're a lucky bastard, Emmett," I mumbled, turning onto my side. "You always know what you want. Why can't I ever have it that easy?"

"No, hold the ketchup," he murmured. I turned slightly and looked over my shoulder at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Biiiig, fat pickle," he breathed.

"_What_? Dude..."

"No more mayo—ahhhhhhh we're sinking!" he yelled, scrambling upright in his bed, before looking around quickly.

I stared at him, completely flabbergasted, and pushed myself upright as well, leaning over to turn on a lamp.

"I had the most fucked up dream," he breathed, staring at me with wide-eyes and an open mouth. "I was sitting in this diner, ordering a bomb ass burger."

Well that explained the food demands.

"And then all of a sudden," he continued, "I was on the fucking Titanic, and it was like, halfway in the water—you know, like that part when it cracks in half? It was freaky."

"_You're_ freaky," I snorted. "Go back to bed, asshole. And whatever you ate before you fell asleep, don't eat it again."

I turned off the light and resumed my previous position, pulling the covers up over my shoulders. I chuckled as Emmett's snoring sounded within the room, shaking my head.

I'd need to thank him for, even in his sleep, finding ways to take my mind off shit.

~º~º~

I bid Jasper good bye the next day and headed straight for my lab room, a bundle of nerves. I had called the tutoring center on the walk over to cancel my session with Bella today. Even though I'd had class this morning, and therefore actually had something to work on, I didn't think I could face Bella so soon after Adrian. I had no idea how the hell I was going to peacefully survive this class, knowing what I had to do when it was over. As Emma had said, though, I couldn't see an alternative.

I nodded to a few of my classmates as we walked up the ramp, to the door. Exhaling heavily, I walked through the doors as confidently as I could. And just like a little bitch, I rushed straight over to my seat next to Ben without a glance towards the front of the room.

"Hey," he greeted with a nod. "How was your break?"

"Pretty good," I nodded, "yours?"

"It was alright. Not nearly long enough."

"Tell me about it," I scoffed. "It felt like I was home for two days before I had to leave again."

He nodded in agreement, smirking slightly, before opening his lab book and flipping through it. "So...everything good with Bella, then?"

"Dude," I groaned, laying my arms out on the counter and resting my forehead against them, "my entire thought process has revolved around her and this one," I said, jerking my head subtly towards the front of the room, "within the past twenty-four hours. I don't even want to hear their names right now."

"Then why'd you even bother to come to class?" he laughed, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"To learn, of course," I grinned, straightening up.

"How was your break, guys?" Adrian said over the chatter, clapping her hands together from the front of the room. I sighed heavily and faced forward, allowing my eyes to settle on her. She glanced around the room as one-worded replies floated around, and her gaze locked with mine, lingering a few seconds, before she smiled and told us to open our lab books to a specific page.

Fuck. I was screwed.

*

"Have a good week, guys," Adrian shouted as we all packed our bags and stood up, shuffling towards the doors. I tossed my phone idly back and forth between my hands, staring at her; willing her to look in my direction. Finally she did, and I help up my phone, wiggling it slightly and trying to silently tell her I was about to text her without drawing attention to myself. Her eyebrows furrowed momentarily before realization dawned on her face, and she turned around, walking towards her bag to rifle through it. I immediately opened up a blank message and began typing on the keyboard.

_**Is there a class after this in here?**_

I walked out the door and down the ramp with Ben, following the rest of the class onto the pavement.

"I know we just got back from break and all, but is it bad that I'm already counting down the days until the semester ends?" he asked, groaning slightly.

"I think everybody is," I laughed. "Two months have never seemed so far away."

"Tell me about it," he grumbled.

My phone vibrated in my hand and I hurriedly checked the new message that had come in.

_**No, why?**_

It was now or never. I had to get this over with.

"Shit, I think I left my binder in there," I lied, halting my steps. Ben stopped as well and turned around, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"I could have sworn you grabbed it," he said.

"Yeah, but I set it down to the side and forgot to put it in my backpack," I continued, scratching my cheek. He shrugged and said he had to head off to class, and I waved, bidding him goodbye, before turning around and heading back to the classroom.

As I walked up the ramp I tried to subtly glance around, checking to make sure there were no lingering classmates. The coast was clear, and with a deep breath, I quickly opened the door and walked inside. She looked up as I stepped through the door frame, bent over slightly with a pen in hand. I swallowed thickly and shoved my hands in my pockets, slowly making my way over to her, as she straightened up.

"Hey," I said, nodding slightly.

"Hey," she replied softly, setting the pen down and leaning against the counter. "What's up?"

"Nothin'," I said, shaking my head. "Just wanted to see how your break went and all."

"And you had to come back to class to ask me that?" she smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Naturally," I responded with a half-smile, "and I just wanted to...ya know...talk..."

"Okay," she drawled, hopping up onto the counter, "about what?"

I dropped my backpack on the floor with a sigh, and stood directly in front of her with a pointed look on my face. "I think you know."

"I haven't talked to you in almost three weeks," she said, curling her fingers around the edge of the counter. "I sort of figured you just wanted to forget about it."

"What was I supposed to do?" I asked. "We couldn't exactly talk about it the next day, and then we went on break...there wasn't a whole lot of time to discuss it."

"I know," she sighed. "How do we even get into a discussion about it though? What did we do, really?"

"Enough," I replied, "but that's hardly relevant. You and I both know more would have happened had I not left."

"I know," she nodded, puffing out her cheeks as she exhaled. It was silent for a few moments before she looked up at me and said, "Where do we even start?"

"I just..." I trailed off, pursing my lips and furrowing my eyebrows. "I'm really confused about things right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I...God, I hate talking about this shit," I chuckled humorlessly, running a hand through my hair. "Things happened over the break—things I never expected, and I went from knowing exactly what I wanted, to not knowing what I'm feeling, and for _whom_."

"Ah," she stated with a nod, looking down and pursing her lips. "There's another girl."

"Yeah," I mumbled. It was silent for a few moments before she sighed softly, looking up at me.

"Well, I know what I want," she said strongly, "but I can wait for you to figure it out. I'm not in any hurry."

I stared at her, clenching my jaw, and knew I had to do it right then. I stepped closer to her, placing my palms flat against the surface of the counter on either side of her, and leaned forward slowly.

I hated myself for doing this—for this being the only way to know. I wasn't this type of guy. I didn't go sneaking around behind the back of a girl I cared about, and that was essentially what I was doing. Adrian knew about Bella, in the technical sense, but Bella still had absolutely no idea Adrian existed. I was going to have to have this same conversation with her, and, while it would have been understandable for me to explain that I had _kind_ of hooked up with somebody before everything that had transpired in the last few days, I didn't think Bella would be quite so accepting of me telling her I'd intentionally kissed somebody else after the fact.

I was so close to Adrian's mouth now. I swallowed thickly and whispered, "I have to know," one more time—mainly to try and justify my actions to myself—before closing the gap; my mouth connecting with hers. Her lips parted almost immediately, and I followed suit, tilting my head to the right to deepen the kiss. I didn't know what to hope. On one hand, I wanted to feel nothing, just so I would know the answer. On the other hand, I wanted to feel the same thing I felt with Bella, even though it wouldn't solve anything—it'd make me feel like less of an asshole. But as my tongue met hers, I knew right away.

There was nothing.

Not even a dull spark was present. There were no knots in my stomach, no desperate need to get closer, or feel her. There was no tingling sensation—just a kiss. It was Bella. It had _always _been Bella.

I was inwardly rejoicing the mystery being solved, and was just about to pull away when I heard the sound of the door being opened, followed by a startled, "Oh, shit, sorry!"

I scrambled away from Adrian quickly, wiping my mouth off as I looked towards the doors in panic. My face paled and my stomach felt like it fell out of my ass as familiar chocolate brown eyes stared back at me, wide in disbelief and confusion. We stared at each other in silence, her eyes flitting between me and Adrian, before her face hardened. She whirled around and threw open the door before barging out of the room.

"_Fuck_!" I hissed, grabbing my bag off the floor and running out the door and down the ramp. I looked to the right, then to the left, and saw her hurrying up the ramp of the portable behind my class.

"Bella, wait!" I shouted, shrugging on my bag as I ran towards the portable. She completely ignored me, though, and threw open the door to the room before disappearing inside. I couldn't exactly barge in there, but I wasn't about to give up. She had to come out some time. I leaned against the railing of the ramp, praying I wouldn't be waiting for an hour or two, when she pushed open the door.

"Bella," I said, looking up at her as she started down the ramp quickly. "Bella, come on, talk to me, please..."

She refused to look me in the eye, though, as she shoved past me, heading towards Thornton Hall.

"Don't do this, Bella," I pleaded, hurrying to her side. "I can explain everything, just—"

"Just _what_, Edward?" she yelled, halting her steps and whirling around to face me. "I think I got the message loud and clear when I saw you sucking face with _her_!"

"That's now how it was," I shouted. "You don't understand!"

"You're right, Edward," she said seriously, "I _don't_ understand. I don't understand how you can do everything you've done in the last few days with me, then turn around and kiss another girl. Was everything you said to me a lie? Everything I _thought_ I knew about you?"

"Of course not! Bella, everything that happened with us confused the hell out of me, but I _know_ now," I said intensely. She stayed silent for a few moments, looking away and shaking her head.

"I allowed myself to feel something for you," she said softly. "I actually allowed myself to _want_ something with you. What a crock of shit."

With that, she spun around and started towards the building once again, but I wasn't going to let her go that easily. I grabbed her forearm, effectively stopping her from walking any further.

"Let me go, Edward," she said evenly, without looking back.

"No, not until you listen to me," I said hoarsely, pulling her towards me.

"I don't have to listen to _shit_," she hissed.

"You've got it all wrong, Bella," I pressed. "I don't want her—I was confused because I _did_ want her, before all of this with you, but I don't want her anymore!"

"Oh, and I suppose you want me?" she chuckled humorlessly.

"_Yes_," I stressed, staring into her eyes determinedly as I finally admitted out loud, and to myself, what I should have seen from the beginning. Her jaw clenched and she stared back at me with a look of pure hatred. My grip on her arm loosened significantly as I stared back with wide, startled eyes.

"Fuck you," she spat. "I am _not_ some fucking second-rate clone that's just going to allow you to do what you want with me just because she's not around and it's convenient."

She yanked her arm out of my grasp roughly and ran up the steps, disappearing through the glass doors and leaving me to stare after her, speechless. My hands flew up to my hair, tugging roughly as I squinted my eyes shut and muttered "fuck" repeatedly through clenched teeth.

What the fuck had I done?

* * *

**End Notes: **You know the drill. Review, follow/add me on twitter/facebook, if you please--linkage is on my homepage.


	25. Chapter 23: Space

**Chapter Notes: **Helloooo bb's. Before you ask, no, I have not finished the story. Why am I posting now then, you ask? Because I wanted to abuse my new validation beta privileges over at Twilighted and submit this chapter, and I couldn't very well submit over there and not here, right? Right. Also, contrary to popular belief, I did feel bad about leaving y'all with that heartfail ending last chapter, and this one ends on a much better note. Anyway, for real, after this I won't be posting again until the story is finished.

Thanks to my lovah, as always, for constantly trying to help me get into the groove of writing each and every chapter and giving me tons of feedback, thanks to my amazing beta Missy for just being friggin awesome, editing all my mistakes, and supporting me, thanks to **crimsonmarie** for pre-reading & giving me feedback on everything I write, for just being her crazy ass self and for being the Cha to my Cha, and last but certainly not least, thanks to YOU all. Seriously, you guys are all made of awesome and I appreciate each and every encouraging message I've gotten showing your support and letting me know you'll stick around no matter what.

Sorry, I know I ramble. I'm pretty sure it's impossible for me to write a really short A/N. lol. Oh, and just in case y'all want a song to listen to, I had "Lovesick Mistake" by Erin McCarley on repeat while writing Bella's section. It really adds to the mood, methinks. Okay, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** What I own: A bunch of fucking awesome readers who went on an angry rampage to get the stolen version of this story taken down!  
What I do not own: Twilight or any of the characters. Sigh.

* * *

_-B-_

"Edward called and canceled his session," Angela told me the second I walked into the front office of the tutoring center. I did my best to keep my face composed as disappointment surged through me, simply nodding before rounding the desk and clocking in.

Well shit. There went my excitement. As lame as it was, I looked forward to my sessions with Edward. Not only was he good company (and nice to look at), but he made me feel like I was actually _succeeding_ in my job, unlike half the morons that walked in for help.

I spoke with Angela for a few minutes until my first tutee walked in. With a heavy sigh, I bid her goodbye and walked across the hall to begin the job that made me want to bash my head into a wall. We finished the session fifteen minutes early, surprisingly, and I trailed back to the front office, perching myself on the edge of the sign-in desk and staring at Angela in amusement as she pounded furiously on the keyboard, an anxious expression on her face.

"I can't believe I forgot about this," she griped, furrowing her eyebrows.

"It happens," I shrugged, tracing my finger along the scratches in the wood. Apparently Angela had forgotten about an assignment that was due today in her Physics lab, and only remembered it when everybody else turned it in. Her teacher was feeling generous, though, and allowed her until five this evening to complete and turn it in.

"Not to me," she huffed. I pursed my lips, suppressing the urge to mutter "apparently it does," and continued to entertain myself by scratching my fingernail across the wood.

"Cheap," I whispered to myself as pieces of the surface came off, embedding itself under my fingernails.

"Finished!" she announced with a final, hard clack on the keyboard, sighing in relief and leaning back in her chair.

"Good job," I said, patting her on the shoulder. "Now how are you going to get it over there by five?"

She stared at me for a moment before her face crumpled, and she groaned loudly, leaning over so her forehead was on the desk. "Why didn't I think of that?" she whined.

"Relax," I chuckled, playing with her ponytail. "I was just messing with you. I'll take it over for you. I don't have anything to do for the next hour, anyway."'

"Seriously?" she asked, straightening up immediately with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Yeah, just tell me where to go."

She thanked me profusely, doing a final read-through before printing the file out, stapling it, and handing it over. After writing the room number on a post-it and sticking it on the top sheet, she directed me to the portables in back of Thornton Hall, and I set off in search of the room.

As I rounded the corner of the building and the portables came into view, I hurried my steps, slightly (and pathetically) excited that I found it without getting lost; I wasn't at all familiar with this area. I lifted my hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun, squinting slightly as I tried to make out the room number; I could barely see a T and a 2. I lowered my eyes to the post-it, seeing T-J 2 scrawled across the surface, then looked back up at the room number. With a shrug, I walked over to the portable behind it, but could only make out a T and a 2 on that one, as well.

"Well fuck," I muttered, walking back to the first portable. I stared at it for a few moments before shrugging and walking up the ramp; if it was the wrong room, it was the wrong room. I was met with a surprise, however, when I pulled open the door and saw a couple in a fairly heated kiss.

"Oh, shit, sorry!" I said, startled. And then I saw that mop of bronze hair, pulling hurriedly away from the girl on the counter.

I registered that before I even saw his face—nobody else had hair like that—yet some part of me prayed to God that when I looked over, I wouldn't see his face. It was a cruel joke to play on myself, really, thinking that there was any chance it wouldn't be him. I shouldn't have been the least bit surprised when his wide, green eyes met my confused, brown ones. I stared between the two in shock, completely numb.

And then the fury took over.

I felt my face harden, and before I realized what I was doing, I was out the door and flying down the ramp—not before eying the slab next to the door, of course, out of morbid curiosity.

T-H 2. I'd gotten the wrong fucking room.

I ran towards the back portable as fast as I could, hearing Edward yelling my name, but ignoring him, as I hurried up the ramp. I rushed into the room, out of breath, and asked the man who was looking at me with a startled face if Angela was his student. I vaguely registered him nodding in affirmation before handing him the paper and whirling around, heading out the door. Much to my chagrin, immediately after I exited the room, Edward began his please—all the typical shit: "You don't understand," "talk to me," "I can explain." Each excuse was pissing me off more and more as I stalked towards Thornton Hall, never acknowledging him. Why wasn't he going away?

"Don't do this, Bella," he pleaded. "I can explain everything, just—"

"Just _what_, Edward?" I yelled, halting immediately and turning to face him so fast, I was surprised I didn't fall over. "I think I got the message loud and clear when I saw you sucking face with _her_!"

"That's now how it was," he insisted. "You don't understand!"

"You're right, Edward," I said, staring into his eyes and hoping he could feel the intensity of my fury at that moment. "I _don't_ understand. I don't understand how you can do everything you've done in the last few days with me, then turn around and kiss another girl. Was everything you said to me a lie? Everything I _thought_ I knew about you?"

I didn't think he was this kind of person. I had no claim to him; he wasn't my boyfriend, but I never thought he was the kind of person who would kiss me with such an intensity that it damn near made me faint, then get with somebody else behind my back the day after at that. That wasn't the Edward I knew, but maybe that was the point. Maybe he was just like every other guy; only showing me the person he wanted me to see so that I'd fall for him, and be too far in by the time I figured out who he truly was. Well that backfired on him, obviously, because I was pretty sure it wasn't in his plans for me to catch him in the act.

"Of course not! Bella, everything that happened with us confused the hell out of me, but I _know_ now," he said, and for a second, as I searched his face, I started to believe him—I _wanted_ to believe him, so badly. The little voice in the back of my mind forced it's way through, though, reminding me that he'd betrayed me and my trust already; this was no different. I let out a soft, humorless chuckle, running my tongue along the back of my bottom teeth as I looked away, shaking my head.

"I allowed myself to feel something for you," I murmured, moreso to myself than him, but at this point, I didn't care if he knew. It didn't matter, anyway. "I actually allowed myself to _want_ something with you. What a crock of shit."

I didn't need to hear any more of his pathetic excuses. I turned around and started towards the stairs of Thornton Hall, but I felt a warm hand grip my forearm keeping me from moving forward.

_Son of a bitch..._

"Let me go, Edward," I warned, staring straight ahead and trying to keep my cool.

"No, not until you listen to me," he croaked, pulling my arm back.

"I don't have to listen to _shit_," I hissed menacingly, turning around the face him with narrowed eyes.

"You've got it all wrong, Bella," he continued, repeating the same shit I'd been hearing for the past ten minutes. "I don't want her—I was confused because I _did_ want her, before all of this with you, but I don't want her anymore!"

"Oh, and I suppose you want me?" I asked sarcastically, waiting for his inevitable, and oh-so-cliché reply.

"_Yes_," he stressed. I wasn't expecting his answer to piss me off so much, especially since it was exactly what I expected, but a whole new wave of fury washed over me, and as his grip loosened on my arm, I knew the look on my face portrayed what I was feeling.

"Fuck you," I spat. "I am _not_ some fucking second-rate clone that's just going to allow you to do what you want with me just because she's not around and it's convenient."

I yanked my arm out of his grip roughly and turned back around, heading up the stairs and into the building.

This time, though, he didn't stop me.

As I exited the front and started down the numerous flights of stairs, the hurt that had been overshadowed by anger at the sight of him and hearing his excuses began to seep through, clenching at my heart. I felt my face crumple up as tears blurred my vision, and I stopped in the middle of the stairs, leaning against the railing and wrapping an arm around my middle. I'd never felt anything so painful and emotionally draining before; never felt so completely torn apart. Why was this affecting me so badly? Regardless of what had or hadn't happened between Edward and I, it wasn't like he'd cheated on me. So why did it feel like that's exactly what happened?

I exhaled heavily, blinking rapidly and tilting my head back, willing the tears to disappear and not spill over. I wasn't going to cry over him. He didn't deserve that much. I swallowed thickly before straightening up, smoothing my face out, and started down the stairs, back towards HSS. I still had a job to do, and there was no fucking way I was going to let on that anything was wrong in front of Angela, nor was I going to let it affect my work.

For the rest of the day, I kept a straight face, somehow forcing myself to be completely apathetic to the situation with Edward, mainly by keeping myself occupied so I wouldn't think about it. He'd continuously tried to call or text, and after a while I turned my phone off. I couldn't deal with it.

If Angela had sensed something was off—which she probably did—she didn't bring it up, and for that, I was grateful. She left that night, deciding to stay over at Ben's, but before leaving she gave me a big hug and a kiss on the forehead. I knew that there was no way she knew what was going on, but with the events of the day, combined with her sympathetic gesture, it took everything I had to keep it together while she was still in the apartment. After she left, I locked up, turned off all the lights, and made my way back to my room. I curled up in bed, not bothering to change clothes, or get under the covers, and finally allowed myself to feel the hurt that seemed to be radiating throughout my entire body. I cried then, full-bodied sobs, tears streaming down my face so rapidly half of my pillow case was drenched within minutes. I cried out of frustration for allowing myself to be in this predicament. I cried for what I thought could have been. I cried for not being enough, and I cried for my completely shattered heart.

~º~º~

The next day wasn't any better. After venting out all of my frustrations through tears the night before, I'd thought I would be able to take a deep breath and get on with it, but that had not been the case. In fact, it had almost the opposite effect. Sure, I wasn't crying about it anymore, but every time I looked in the mirror all I saw were dull eyes; there wasn't a way to mask that. So I did my best to steer clear of everybody, not answering any of my phone calls. Angela was, of course, the only person I couldn't ignore, but she seemed to understand that I needed my space, only coming into my room to tell me she'd picked up some Chinese take-out and had gotten me my favorites that evening.

We sat in front of the TV in silence—I hadn't wanted to seem ungrateful for her thoughtfulness in getting me some food, but as I chewed on my food, awkwardly curled up on the couch, I wondered if it wouldn't have been better for both of us if I'd just retreated back to my room.

"Okay," Angela said finally, muting the TV, and turning to me with a serious expression, "you have been moping around for two days. This is not like you, what is going on? And don't you dare tell me nothing," she added as I opened my mouth to tell her just that. I shut it instantly, setting the container down on my lap, and stared at the carpet. I didn't want to bother her with my issues. I'd never been the kind of person to openly discuss feelings or any of that shit; I preferred to sort them out internally. I was normally so good at hiding when something was wrong, and the fact that I clearly was doing a shit job of it only added to my frustration. A thought popped up in my mind, though, one that would explain my mood and still allow me to deal with what was going on by myself.

"I'm homesick," I lied, shoving my fork in my chow mein and moving it around my container; my appetite had severely diminished within the last few minutes, so naturally, playing with my food was the next best thing to eating it. Angela was silent for a few moments and I kept my gaze on my food, which was undoubtedly getting cold. Then I felt the couch shift, and her arms wrapped around my shoulders from the side.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I wish there was something I could do."

I felt a pang of guilt for lying to her, but I reasoned that lying to her was better than telling her the truth in this situation. If I told her what was really bothering me, she'd fret over me constantly, whereas telling her this would appease her and get her off my back. It was better all around.

"Yeah," I muttered, setting my container down on the floor as she pulled away.

"Maybe you could go home this weekend," she suggested. "An impromptu trip. Have you looked at ticket prices?"

I shook my head, pursing my lips, and picked at my nails. Angela scrambled off the couch and hurried down the hall silently. I stared after her in confusion, wondering what in the hell she was doing, but moments later she hurried back down the hall with her laptop in hand and plopped onto the couch once more.

"What are you doing?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. She mumbled a "hold on," her fingers flying smoothly across the keyboard as she chewed on her bottom lip, staring at the screen with slightly furrowed brows.

"Okay," she said finally, "there are a few flights leaving out tomorrow night that aren't too pricey."

Oh, God. Now I felt even worse. The plan had completely backfired; she was just supposed to drop it, not keep fussing over me!

"Angie, it's fine—"

"No, hush," she demanded, waving a dismissive hand in my face. "You're going home this weekend. I want you to be your usual, fun-loving, bitchy self again."

I chuckled softly, a half-smile gracing my face for the first time since the whole ordeal the day before. She went right back to her task, ordering me to grab my phone and call my mom in between spouting off flight details and prices. As I walked to my room to retrieve my cell, I wondered if getting away for the weekend wasn't exactly what I needed. I would be able to hang out with my mom—there was no question of whether or not I missed her crazy ass dearly—and I'd be able to talk to her. She could read me like nobody else and would probably know exactly what was bothering me the moment she saw my face; it was just a matter of filling in the finer details.

That solidified the deal. With my phone and wallet in hand, I went back into the living room, chose and paid for a flight to Phoenix tomorrow night, and called my mom to let her know I was coming home. I felt a surge of excitement as she squealed in anticipation, gushing about how much she was looking forward to seeing me and how happy she was for the pleasant surprise, and I felt a genuine smile grace my face as I told her I shared her sentiments.

Yes, this was definitely what I needed.

~º~º~

I skipped out of my last class the next day to go home and finish packing. I'd managed to weasel the day off from work by pretending I was sick—I was pretty sure Mrs. Cope wasn't convinced, but she let it slide anyway. I'd told Rose I was going home this weekend in class that morning and she offered to drive me to the airport, which was a huge help; I hated how long it took on the damn BART.

At 5:30 PM Rosalie pulled up to the complex and honked for me to come out. After giving Angela a quick hug goodbye, I grabbed my carry-on suitcase, made sure I had everything I needed in my purse, and headed out to the car.

"I hope you have everything," Rosalie said as I shut the passenger door, "because I'm not turning around once I pull out."

"Then I guess it doesn't matter whether or not I have everything," I retorted as she circled around and drove towards the street. She looked over at me, raising her sunglasses slightly and tilting her head down as she looked on at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What's eating your ass, Gilbert Grape?" she asked. "That was far bitchier than usual."

"Just go," I muttered, sinking down in the seat, "_please_," I added, knowing she was probably giving me a 'who do you think you're talking to?' look. With a heavy sigh, she turned onto the road and started towards the freeway. Morrisey flowed through the speakers as we sailed through traffic in silence, and within twenty minutes we were nearing the exit airport. Given the time of day and the fact that it was Friday, I'd counted on at _least_ forty-five minutes of driving. My flight wasn't until 7:43, so I didn't technically need to be here until 6:30-ish; the fact that I'd be sitting inside for half an hour longer than I planned wasn't exactly welcomed, but it was better than being late and missing my flight all together.

Rosalie began switching lanes, her blinker clicking as she got into the exit lane one off-ramp early. I sat up straight, turning to look at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"What are you doing? This isn't the exit!"

"I know," she said coolly, following the cars down the off ramp. I looked around in confusion as she followed a few cars into an area full of cars and gates.

"Where the hell are we?" I demanded.

"Cell phone lot," she replied, pulling into one of the gates and parking. She rolled down the windows and turned off the car. Taking off her sunglasses and folding them up, she unbuckled her seat belt and turned to face me, lifting her right leg onto the seat and tucking it underneath her.

"What is going on with you Bella?"

I stared at her straight-faced, her expression a mix of anxiety and concern, and my initial instinct to give her a generic answer dissipated. I leaned the side of my head on the head rest, looking up at the ceiling of the car and licking my lips.

"It's...not a big deal," I sighed, shaking my head, then turned to look out the window.

"Don't give me that shit, Bella," she snapped, "something has been going on with you, and it popped out of nowhere. You've been ignoring my calls and text messages for the past day and a half, and the only reason we're even here right now is because you couldn't avoid me in class this morning. I know you, and I know this isn't your normal behavior, so don't tell me that it's not a big deal."

I hated when she made valid points.

I closed my eyes and swallowed thickly, then opened them again, keeping my gaze locked on the airplanes flying low in the sky.

"Look, I thought there was something between me and...this guy," I said, catching myself before I blabbed his name, "but I was wrong."

"What makes you say that?" she asked softly.

"The fact that we made out passionately, then I caught him sucking some other girl's face off," I replied, laughing humorlessly.

It was silent for a few moments before she replied.

"Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?" she asked lowly.

"Unequivocally," I answered evenly.

She paused for another few seconds before responding with, "I see."

I looked over at her upon hearing the menacing tone in her voice; she was _seething_.

"Rosalie, don't," I warned, staring at her pointedly. "It's done and over with. It doesn't matter. I'll get over it."

"Okay," she said simply, licking her lips and putting on her sunglasses.

"Really?" I asked skeptically as she turned on the car. It shouldn't have been this easy; not with Rosalie.

"Sure," she shrugged, backing out of her parking spot and starting out of the lot, "if that's what you want."

We sat in silence as she got back on the freeway for another few miles before taking the correct exit for the airport. After pulling over in front of the doors for United Airlines, Rosalie got out with me and hugged me goodbye, giving me a kiss on the cheek. She instructed me to call her when I got there, and to let her know what time to be at the airport on Sunday since she'd apparently decided to pick me up as well. I waved her off, turning to walk through the sliding doors and towards the security gates. I was pretty sure Rosalie's guarantee that she wouldn't do anything was a load of shit, but I couldn't bring myself to worry about it too much. A hint of a smile graced my lips as a whirlwind of scenarios invaded my thoughts, and secretly, I hoped she beat the shit out of Edward.

* * *

_-R-_

I. was. _livid_.

I was also being extremely reckless as I sped down the freeway, my knuckles white from clutching the steering wheel so tight, but I couldn't have cared less. All I could see was that fucker's stupid face, with that stupid fucking smug smirk because he managed to play two girls at the same time. I don't think so, buddy; you don't get to play one of my best friends and come out alive, or at least with both balls intact. And I swear to God, if it was that fucking lab rat he was with, I would have her _ass_.

I whirled into a staff parking space in the lot behind Towers, not giving a shit if I got a ticket; I could charm my way out of it, and if not, I would pay the piece of shit just for this opportunity to fuck him up. I rifled through my purse for my work ID card, hoping I hadn't left it at home. Hissing in approval when I found it, I grabbed it and my phone then dialed Emmett's number, yanking my keys out of the ignition, before jumping out of the car and locking it behind me.

"Hey sexy lady," Emmett greeted, and I heard my brother groaning in the background.

"No time for that right now," I said, marching up the steps to the automatic doors and sliding my ID card through to open them. "Is Edward there?"

"Uh...yeah," he said slowly, "why?"

"What is he doing?" I demanded.

"Sulking in the room like he has been for days, _why_?"

Perfect.

"I need you to do something for me," I replied, ignoring his desire to know what was going on as I pushed past a few people coming out of the elevator to get in. "I need you to grab Jasper right now and leave your dorm."

"What? We're in the middle of a game!" he protested.

"Trust me, this is for a good cause," I shouted as the doors closed and the shaft started up. "Look, I'm gonna lose you soon, just listen to me and get out. Leave something in front of the door to prop it open. I'll see you in a few."

I hung up, hoping for Emmett's sake that he listened to me and was getting out of the dorm right now, and leaned against the back of the elevator. A few people got in and out on my way up to the 13th floor, and when the elevator dinged and the doors opened, I grinned upon seeing Emmett and Jasper's disgruntled and confused faces.

"Do you mind explaining what is so important that we have to get out of _our_ dorm in the middle of a very intense video game?" Jasper asked irritably, as I kissed Emmett quickly and moved past them.

"As a matter of fact, I do," I quipped. "Did you leave the door propped open?"

"Yeah," Emmett said, "but—"

"Give me about a half an hour," I said, cutting him off. With that, I sauntered down the hall determinedly, the heinous bitch in me growing excited as I pushed open the door and closed it behind me. I walked towards Edward and Emmett's room and grabbed the handle, took a deep breath, and shoved the door open. Edward jumped in his bed, startled, and I smirked as I leaned my shoulder against the door frame.

"Hello, Edward," I purred.

Oh, yes, this will be fun.

* * *

_-E-_

I was miserable; plain and simple.

I'd gone through the routine of going to classes yesterday and today, not really talking to anybody except when I had to; all I cared about was getting Bella to talk to me. Seeing as how she was ignoring every one of my text messages, I wasn't succeeding. Sure, I could have gone to her apartment, but as much as I wanted her to talk to me, I cared too much about my privates to risk getting them beat in.

As if it were meant to be a swift kick in the throat after the dreadful incident on Wednesday, I'd come back to find that my glasses had been delivered that afternoon. I'd also gotten my contacts, but as much as I hated the frames, they reminded me of Bella and because I was a pathetic asshole, I'd put them on right away and hadn't taken them off except to sleep. She had been right about girls liking nerdy guys. I'd had quite a few girls practically throwing themselves at me the past few days, but I shrugged them off. Was I being an emo, brooding pansy? Absolutely. Did I care? Not really.

I laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling as I'd been doing whenever I wasn't at school. I had to think of a way to get Bella back—the notion that she'd never actually been mine in the first place crossed my mind, but I brushed it off—and it needed to be done soon. It wasn't even about easing my guilt; I could live with that forever if I had to, God knew I deserved it for betraying her like that. I just needed her to forgive me, I needed her _period_. I never realized just how much of an impact she had on my every day life. She made me happy, and everything just felt so fucking wrong without her.

"Fuck my life," I muttered, sighing heavily. Out of nowhere, my bedroom door flew open, slamming against the wall. I jumped, my head snapping towards the door, and saw Rosalie leaning against the door frame. At first I was relieved. Then she said, "Hello, Edward," her eyes glinting evilly, and I realized that Satan had come in the form of Rosalie Hale and I was going to die a slow, painful death for my wrongdoings.

We both stared at each other for a few long moments; me, in pure terror, and her in sardonic amusement. Finally, she started forward, that menacing smirk on her face, and said, "Get up." I immediately did what she said. I figured if I listened, she was less likely to kill me straight away. She grabbed a book from my desk then sat down on Emmett's computer chair, crossing her legs as she began to flip through the hardcover book.

"Funny story," she started, keeping her eyes on the pages as I awkwardly stood a few feet away from her. "I just dropped off a very discontent Bella at the airport."

"What? Why was she at the airport?" I asked. My heart pounded in my chest; she wouldn't really leave San Francisco because of me, would she? Rosalie glanced up and did a double-take at the look on my face, then rolled her eyes.

"She went home for the weekend," she said, diverting her attention back to the book. "Don't flatter yourself."

I breathed out a sigh of relief and ran a hand through my hair nervously as she licked her finger then turned a page.

"I guess she had something going on with a guy," she continued. "I didn't know about it, did you?"

She didn't give me a chance to answer.

"Apparently the guy sucked face with her, then she caught him doing the same thing with some other girl the next day."

She slammed the book shut loudly, causing me to twitch because fuck it all if I wasn't nervous as hell, then stood up and started towards me. All traces of amusement were gone from her face, and I really wished she'd put the book down before coming any closer.

"She didn't tell me any names, of course," she said, "but I have a pretty good idea. Any guesses, Edward?"

I swallowed thickly and clenched my jaw, closing my eyes. "Look, I know I fucked up—"

"Oh, _that_ is the understatement of the century," she chuckled darkly, and I opened my eyes to glare at her before continuing.

"I _know_ I fucked up, and I fucked up bad, but...you have to believe me when I say I was so confused at the time. I wasn't expecting to feel this way about her!"

"So you make out with the _lab rat_ instead?" she asked incredulously, her voice rising in volume.

"The who?" I questioned in confusion.

"I can't believe you fucked this all up," she seethed, narrowing her eyes at me. "All this time we've been working diligently on the sidelines to get you two to get your heads out of your asses and see how fucking perfect you are for each other. We've set you up, we _thought _we got that stupid fucking whore of a teacher out of the way by reporting her—"

"That was you?" I asked in shock. "That's a really fucked up thing to do, Rosalie. She could have lost her job!"

"Oh, shut up!" she yelled, then lifted the book and smacked me in the face with it. I couldn't even make a sound; I was too shocked. I couldn't believe she just smacked me in the face. Luckily, she'd only made it as far as my nose, so it didn't do any harm to my glasses.

"You think I give a _fuck_ about her?" she ranted. "Maybe if she kept her hands to herself she wouldn't have even been in that position. God, you're such a fucking idiot!"

I kept quiet. I couldn't exactly argue any of that, but that didn't mean I wasn't getting pissed.

"I was on—your—_side_," she screeched, lifting the book up and accentuating every word with a smack to my shoulder. "From day one, _I've been on your side_, Edward! How could you do that to her?"

I stayed silent and looked on at her as she stared at me, her breathing ragged. When she dropped the book to the floor, I inhaled deeply then sighed.

"Because I'm a moron," I said simply with a shrug. "I could give you every explanation in the world, but it all boils down to me being a moron who's too scared and blind to see a good thing right in front of him."

She eyed me for a few seconds, her breathing calm now, then plopped down on Emmett's chair again.

"I'm listening."

So I told her every detail, just as I had done with Emma; I poured my heart out—to the wrong person, mind you, but it was the best I could hope for right now—and she listened without interruption.

"I know I don't deserve it," I finished, looking down at my bed, as I'd settled down on it during my rambling, and picking at the comforter, "but I need your help. I don't know what I'm supposed to do to get her back, but I have to, and I can't do it alone."

"Clearly," she snorted. "I'll have my work cut out for me just trying to get her to talk to you again."

"I know," I replied.

"I shouldn't help you."

"Probably not," I agreed.

"I still want to punch your face in," she said bluntly.

"Don't blame you."

She regarded me for a few moments before rolling her eyes and sighing heavily.

"Alright. But I swear to God, if you fuck this up again..."

"I'll hand you the knife to chop my balls off," I grinned, sighing in relief.

"That's all I ask," she shrugged, keeping a straight face although I could tell she was fighting a smile. She stood up and smoothed her shirt down as the front door opened, Emmett's voice booming through the doorway. I stood up and followed her towards the bedroom door, but caught her arm before she opened the bedroom door. She looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow, and I caught her off guard by wrapping my arms around her in a hug.

"Thank you," I said softly before releasing her. She nodded curtly, the startled look on her face still slightly visible, and walked out into the hall. I followed her out, suddenly in a much better mood.

I was going to get Bella back; of that much, I was determined.

* * *

**End Notes: **Much better place to leave off at, y/y? You know the drill: forum, facebook, twitter--all the linkage is on my profile page. xx


	26. Chapter 24: Giving In

**Chapter Notes: **Hello, bb's! I have _not_ finished the story - not even close, actually. RL is really taking it's toll on my time and ability to get anything written, really. I participated in the Fandom Gives Back auction, though, and two lovely ladies bid extra on my one-shots just so I'd post whenever I got a new chapter written. So, this story is officially off hiatus, BUT I will _not_ be posting on a set schedule as I did before.

Thank you to Missy, my wonderful beta, for being speedy and just all around awesome. Thank you, as always, to Hannah for being my go-to person when I'm stuck while trying to write and...with just about everything else in my life, haha. And, of course, thank you in advance to everybody who reads and reviews for sticking with the story. Even though I'm pretty sure half of the readers will go on a certain LJ community and bash the story. Ha! Ah, well. :) Enjoy! xx

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. I also don't own much money, but that's another story.

* * *

_-B-_

I awoke Saturday morning to a loud clang, followed by an ungodly amount of light beating down on my face. I turned hastily to lay on my side, pulling the blankets against my body more tightly, if that was at all possible.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" my mother's voice chirped; I grunted in response. There was a brief moment in which my eyes shot open, wondering how in the hell my mother got into my room in San Francisco when she was in Phoenix. Then, as I became more conscious of my surroundings and my eyes focused on the walls covered in photographs I'd taken in high school, I realized I was in the room I'd grown up in – I was home.

A smile grazed my lips as I closed my eyes again, determined to sleep for just a little bit longer, but my mom apparently had other plans; she plopped down on my bed and draped herself across my body.

"Geroff," I mumbled as my face smashed deeper into my pillow.

"Then get up!" she huffed. "I only have today and half of tomorrow with you since you insisted on going to bed almost immediately after getting in last night. I haven't seen you in months; you are _not_ going to waste precious time that could be spent with your mother sleeping."

I groaned loudly as she swatted my butt and rose from the bed, knowing I had no choice but to get up and hating it just the same.

"I put some towels under the sink," she trilled, the sound of a door clicking shut signaling her exit. I reached a limp hand over to my bedside table, feeling blindly for my phone. I cracked open an eye, glancing at the screen for the time – 8:08 AM. Grumbling to myself, I begrudgingly threw the covers off of me and trudged towards my adjoining bathroom.

Half an hour later I followed the scent of pancakes and sausage downstairs, feeling more alert and incredibly hungry. I scowled playfully at my mom in passing as she greeted me enthusiastically, and sat down at the table across from Phil, who was reading the newspaper.

"Anything good?" I asked, stealing his coffee mug and taking a sip.

"Never is," he replied, "yet for some reason I keep reading."

"One of these days," I smirked, taking another drink of his coffee before sliding it back to its previous position. It was a ritual that had started within a year of Phil moving in, before he and my mom were married; Phil read the paper, and I stole his coffee while attempting to distract him by means of an inquisition (he'd caught on fairly quick in the beginning, but it just stuck). He continued reading for a few more minutes – and I continued to drink his coffee – until mom announced that breakfast was done and we needed to fix our plates before it got cold.

I hummed in pleasure, my eyes closing of their own volition, as I chewed on the fluffy pancakes covered in Maple syrup. Somehow my mom was always able to make even the most simple of meals taste like a freakin' feast.

After we finished eating and cleaning up, mom disappeared upstairs and I joined Phil on the couch to watch some television.

"How's it goin', kid?" he asked, turning to look at me and cupping the back of my head, shaking it gently.

"It's been better," I replied honestly with a sigh, "but that's life."

"That it is. I'd say you could spill your guts to me anytime, but I'm pretty sure you'd rather talk to your mom. I think she's probably better at that kind of stuff than I am."

"Probably," I chuckled, "but thanks anyway." He patted my thigh a few times and winked, then stretched before picking up the remote and flicking through the channels. "So how's work going? Any future Einstein's or Babe Ruth's?"

Phil was a fourth grade teacher – he and my mom worked at the same elementary school; that's how they met – but he also coached little league on the side. I used to love going to the practices and games. He was so good with kids, and I often used to wonder why he and mom never had any. Alas, they both either claimed that their school kids were like their own, so there was no need to add to it, or they felt that it was never "the right time in our lives." (Phil almost always added, "I don't think I'd like biological fatherhood nearly as much as I enjoyed helping raise a half-grown step-daughter.")

"More like George Bush Jr.'s and city league players," he snickered, "but I love them just the same."

"One of these days," my mom piped in, making her presence known, "you're going to say that in front of one of your students' parents, and they're going to call the school, and you're going to get fired."

"You'll be my sugar momma," he joked. She raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say "in your dreams," before turning her gaze to me with a smirk on her face.

"You ready to go?" she asked.

"I...wasn't aware we were leaving," I replied in confusion.

"I said you were spending time with your mother today," she sighed, "which, you should know by now, means we're going to do mother-daughter activities. Now hurry up and grab your things – go on!"

I turned to Phil, both of us suppressing smiles, then rose from the couch, making my way upstairs with my mom hurrying me along. After sliding on some shoes, I grabbed my purse and phone then headed towards the door. I paused as I reached the door frame, looking down at my phone as my mother's words from this morning replayed in my head – we only had a day and a half together. Did I really want to waste any of that time text messaging or on the phone?

Absolutely not.

I hurriedly typed out a text message, explaining that I was spending the day with my mom and wouldn't have my phone on me until sometime later in the day, then sent it to Rosalie, Angela, and Jake before turning it off and tossing it on the bed.

*

"I wish you'd wear more than just jeans and t-shirts," my mom sighed, holding up a red, button-down top with short, puffy sleeves and staring at it reverently. I rolled my eyes; this was an ongoing thing between us. She insisted that I should dress in things _she_ liked, while I told her she should just buy them for herself and leave me and my wardrobe alone.

"I can't pull that color off with my skin tone," I replied blandly, scanning through the Macy's racks. "Maybe if they had it in dark blue." Just to appease her.

"They do!"

_Fuck_.

"Oh, damn! They don't have your size."

Ca-_ching_. Fate was on my side after all.

"What a shame," I said in faux pity. "And I was so looking forward to it."

"Oh, shut your mouth," she snapped, swatting at me playfully with the red shirt. "I'll find something."

"Mmmhm."

We wandered around the women's section in silence, save for the occasional (yet always hopeful) "what about this?" from my mom at times when we split up. After the usual resistance on my part for a good ten minutes, we made our way to the dressing rooms to try on the clothes we'd picked – well, the few articles of clothing _I'd_ picked with the additional twenty or so items she'd chosen for the both of us – then up to the register to buy the ones we'd liked.

We spent the next hour and a half browsing through random mall shops, talking and laughing about everything and nothing at all. It felt so good to be with my mother, and, as it always seemed to happen, I realized I'd quite underestimated how much I needed her. I had been in exceptionally high spirits all day, and had almost forgotten the entire reason I'd decided to come home in the first place until we were seated at a table in Chili's for lunch, and she gave me a look that clearly said "we're going to talk about this now."

"So," she started, taking a sip of her iced tea and reminding me of Rosalie, "what made you decide to come home?"

Simple enough question, right? Wrong. Even though I was admittedly beginning to feel like talking about what happened, there was a larger part of me that didn't want to in the event I broke down again. If we were at McDonald's, I might have thought a little differently – McDonald's is full of wailing children, nobody would notice me – but we were in freakin' Chili's. That just wouldn't do.

"I missed you," I shrugged, spinning the straw around the circumference of my cup of Coke. I should have known better than to reply with a half-truthful answer; had I not only yesterday afternoon thought about how my mom always knew what was wrong just by looking at me?

She was quiet for a moment, eying me curiously as she continued sipping on her iced tea, before setting it on the table and folding her arms across her chest. That couldn't be good.

"I may have believed that - _not_ to say that you didn't miss me," she said quickly as I opened my mouth to protest, "because I'm sure you did. But I saw the look on your face last night, Bella, and that wasn't the look of a child who simply misses her mother. That was the look of somebody who'd just been burned, very badly, and that's not a look I'm used to seeing on your face."

I chewed the inside of my cheek and looked down at my fingers as they ripped apart my straw wrapper. This was what I'd wanted, wasn't it; to talk to my mother? So why was I suddenly having a mini internal anxiety attack at the prospect of actually letting it all out? With a resigned sigh, I threw down the last bits of paper and looked up at her.

"Edward," I said.

"Your friend at school? The one you tutor?" she asked.

"That would be the one," I replied. "We spent quite a bit of time together over spring break, and...something developed between us."

I wasn't going to blame myself anymore for thinking something was there; I knew there _was_ something there, and he knew it too. _He _had been the one to kiss _me_, after all. My mom's eyebrows shot up, but she stayed silent as she stared at me expectantly.

"We...kissed...quite a few times," I went on, cringing slightly as I was reminded of how amazing his lips felt on mine, "and then on Wednesday, when he was _supposed_ to be in session with me but called and canceled, I saw him kissing another girl." I looked down at the table again and fumbled with my fingers, my leg bobbing up and down as I waited for her to respond.

"So yeah, that's it," I shrugged. "It hurt, and it sucked, but what else is there to do? I'll get over it soon enough."

"What did he have to say for himself?" she demanded.

"Don't know," I said, "and I don't care."

"_What_?" she asked, and I looked up at her, my eyes wide with surprise as I saw the incredulous look on her face. "Why the hell not?"

"Sorry?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"What do you mean, you don't care? You didn't even _ask_ him to explain himself?"

"He kept trying to explain, but I didn't want to hear it. Why the hell would I?" I scoffed.

"Why the hell _wouldn't_ you?" she countered.

"Because...it doesn't even matter," I growled, shaking my head and slamming my palms down on the table. "Hearing his excuses isn't going to change the fact that he was messing around with somebody else behind my back, and that's all he was doing, giving me excuses. 'I was confused, I didn't know what I wanted, but I know I want you _now_.' Yeah, now that you got _caught_," I scoffed. "I mean, I still have _no idea_ who that girl was!"

"That's because you didn't let him talk, and you didn't ask," she quipped, shaking her head.

"Whose side are you on?" I snapped, glaring at her with a clenched jaw.

"Yours," she replied easily, "always yours, baby."

Silence.

"_But_?" I asked with a heavy sigh, rolling my eyes.

"_But_...I think you made a mistake in not hearing him out. I know that no matter what he has to say, it won't change the fact that he did what he did, but it might help you deal with it a little better if you knew _why_, and you tried to understand it. I know you, Bella, and I know that you've probably been driving yourself crazy trying to figure out where the hell it went wrong."

My upper lip curled slightly; she knew me _too_ well.

"So stop wondering and ask him," she finished.

"I don't know if I can talk to him," I muttered.

"You will be," she assured me with a smile and an encouraging pat on the hand. "Maybe not right this second, but you will be."

"Boys are stupid," I huffed, moving the trash littering the table to one side as our food was brought out.

"Now that, I won't argue," she said with a wink.

*

After lunch, we'd headed over to my mom's favorite salon. She said she needed a hair cut and her roots touched up, and, from the looks of it, I needed a haircut as well. I went along with it begrudgingly because...well, don't we all when it comes to our mothers? The trim that I'd initially intended on getting once I'd sat down in the chair had turned into cutting off just a _few_ more inches, which then progressed into a completely new hairstyle, and two hours later found me in my bathroom back home, blow-drying my freshly-colored dark auburn hair.

I didn't know what the hell had possessed me to do all of it. I couldn't even _remember_ the last time I'd had my hair shorter than my mid-back, and now the tip of the longest layer was to my shoulder, each layer choppier than the last the shorter they got. I sighed and set down the dryer after turning it off, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think I looked good. Yeah, it would take some getting used to, but it added a little flare; made me a little less plain and boring.

Mom and Phil both complimented my new hair when I came down the stairs, which made me feel a little better. Granted, they were my parents and they kind of _had_ to tell me I didn't look like shit, but Phil seemed to genuinely like it, and since he was still technically a guy, and guys really didn't pay attention to that kind of stuff, I took it at face value.

We spent the remainder of the evening eating pizza we had delivered from Rome's Pizza, watching movies, playing _Scene it!_ Trivia on DVD, and just enjoying each other's company for the limited amount of time we had together. Finally, around 10:30 PM, we cleaned everything up, said goodnight, and headed up to bed. As I was changing into my bed clothes, I realized that I still had yet to check my phone since I'd turned it off earlier in the day. I grabbed it and powered it on, pulling back my covers and climbing into bed as I waited.

Immediately after the main screen appeared, a slew of text messages and voice mails flooded my inbox.

"Christ," I muttered, scrolling through the text messages first. The first five that I read (which were technically the _last_ five I'd received) were from Rosalie, threatening my life if I was dead. Then there were a few more from her, mixed in with random ones from Jake, asking if I was home yet, and if not, when I would _be_ home, and then one from Angela telling me to have fun and she'd see me tomorrow.

I decided to call Rosalie first before she went into cardiac arrest, plus I still needed to tell her my flight details.

"It's about fucking time you whore," she answered.

"Hello to you too, princess," I smirked, laying down and getting comfortable.

"I'm dying of boredom and I hate you," she sighed, "just so you know."

"I'm very sorry that I wanted to see my mom, therefore I couldn't be there to entertain you this weekend," I scoffed.

"You're forgiven," she replied. "So how'd your little _bonding_ day go?"

"Good. You should come out here with me one of these days. I think you'd have fun," I said with a grin.

"Uh huh. Likely story."

"Mmmhm. So, any new or exciting developments since I've been gone?" I questioned.

"Emmett is changing his major on Monday."

"What the hell?" I asked in confusion. "Why?"

"Apparently he's decided he doesn't want to do Business. Instead, he's majoring in Radio and Television."

"That's...not relevant. At all," I stated.

"This just proves it. I mean, I always knew that he was stupid, but this actually _shows_ me just how challenged he really is. Honestly, how in the hell did he even get into college?" she demanded. "I don't know. I really don't."

"Well..." I trailed off in contemplation, "...Now that I'm thinking about it, he _does_ kind of seem like the type of person who'd be good on TV or the radio. He has that personality, you know?"

"No, I don't know, to be quite frank," she said curtly. "You're supposed to be on my side, Bella. I was on your side and smacked Edward in the face with a book for you, now you be on my side and smack Emmett in the face with a cast iron skillet because I don't approve of this."

"You smacked Edward in the face with a book?" I snorted.

"Yes, I did - you're welcome."

"_Thanks_," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes, but I was grinning like a fool. That's my girl.

"Speaking of...did you tell your mom?" she asked.

"Yeah," I muttered, "she thinks I made a mistake in not letting him explain himself."

"No shit. I could have told you that. I just wanted to respect the fact that you were in pain and didn't need to hear that. I can, at times, have a heart."

"Yes, there are those rare yet unforgettable moments," I teased. "Well, I appreciate the gesture, and if you really want me to, I'll try and smack Emmett in the face, too. I don't know if I'll _succeed_, but I'll try."

Rosalie laughed heartily, bringing a smile to my face as her laughter always did. "How about you convince him to let me visit that off-the-map town he's from this summer, and we'll call it even?"

"You don't know what you're asking, Rose," I warned, shaking my head.

"Do it, or you will forever be indebted to me!"

"I'll see what I can do," I chuckled.

We talked for a few more minutes, and I gave her my flight information before saying goodnight and hanging up. Immediately after, I called Jake; I could have easily text messaged him instead, but I really wanted to hear his voice. I missed the hell out of him.

"She's aliiiiiive!" he answered. "Where the hell have _you_ been?"

"I told you, I was hanging out with my mom all day," I replied, rolling my eyes; how well he listened.

"Oh, right, yeah. How'd that go?"

"Good. I cut and dyed my hair," I told him, realizing I'd somehow forgotten to tell Rosalie. She'd see it tomorrow, though, so it wasn't that serious.

"Yeah? How?"

I explained it to him...numerous times, actually, but it did nothing because he _still_ didn't understand, and instead demanded a picture of it. We talked about the shop, and the guys, and life in general – of course, I excluded the Edward situation. Jake was kind of emotionally stunted when it came to non-platonic relationships, so he wasn't a preferable candidate to bitch to about a guy emotionally fucking me over. He kept yawning, though, which of course caused me to yawn. When our conversation was consisting mostly of yawns with a few words here and there, we decided to cut the call short.

"Hey, Bells?" he said before we hung up.

"Hm?"

"You should masturbate before you go to sleep. It'll help relax you."

"I'll be sure to do that," I laughed, "and I'll dedicate it to your face."

"Sweeeeet," he chuckled. "Alright, love you. Night."

I disconnected the call, still laughing to myself as I put the phone down on my side table and snuggled further into my covers. With my head filled of thoughts of my friends, I fell asleep with a smile playing on my lips.

~º~º~

"Alright, call as _soon_ as you get in!" mom insisted, hugging me goodbye at the security checkpoint.

"I will," I assured her, moving on to hug Phil. "I love you guys."

After returning the sentiment and saying their goodbyes, I headed through security, then towards the gate to sit and wait for boarding to begin. Out of boredom, I scrolled through my inbox and re-read all the text messages still in there. Most of them were from Rose and Jake, so naturally, they made me laugh. It wasn't until I got halfway through the messages that my heart skipped and my breath caught in my throat as I read a message from Edward the week before.

_**How pathetic is it that I kinda miss you already?**_

Clearly he didn't miss me anymore, because he hadn't tried to contact me at all this weekend. This was both a relief and another blow to the stomach. I was glad because I was getting sick of him blowing up my phone, and waiting for him to get the hint that I wasn't going to pick up no matter how many times he called. On the other hand, he had only tried to contact me for two days after the incident, and then he gave up; and I was supposed to believe that he "wanted" me? That was just one more thing to add to the list proving that everything he tried to say that day was, in fact, simply an excuse. They were all things I couldn't trust enough to believe.

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily, shoving my phone into my pocket as I was not at all in the mood to come across _more_ messages from him that I'd kept for whatever reason. The intercom announced boarding for my seat and I stood up, grabbing my bag as I made my way to the line.

Within 25 minutes we were on the runway, preparing to take off for a two hour flight filled with absolutely nothing to do. I sighed, looking to my left, then my right; there definitely was no 11-D next to me today.

*

Rosalie was parked just as she had been when she'd dropped me off, even though technically you weren't allowed to park there, as I walked out of the airport. It was just as well; it was already almost 5 PM and I really didn't feel like waiting out there because she had to circle around the entire airport again.

"Your hair!" she exclaimed as soon as I got into the car, her eyes wide and swimming with excitement. "It looks _fantastic_. When did you do that?"

"Thanks," I grinned as she fingered the ends. "I got it done yesterday."

"What brought it on?" she asked, pulling into the road and driving off.

"Spur of the moment," I shrugged.

"Spontaneity is key. How was your plane ride?"

"Uneventful, as always," I sighed, leaning my head back and looking out the window.

"That's not true," she argued, "what about that one guy you sat next to last time? What was his name? Jack?"

"Jace," I corrected, "and what about him?"

"I'm just saying, that wasn't uneventful. Whatever happened to him, anyway?"

"Dunno," I shrugged, rolling my head to the left to look at her. "I haven't heard from him in a few weeks. So much for our coffee date," I scoffed.

Traffic was bad, as was expected. It took us a good forty-five minutes to get to my apartment, but neither of us were in a huge hurry; other than when some people drove really stupid, we were content with slowly moving through traffic and talking.

Angela was home when we walked in, and after I put my things away, we all hung out for a little while until Rosalie had to leave for work from eight to midnight. Angela and I sat on the couch, watching TV and talking, until close to eleven. We both bid each other good night at that point and went to our respective bedrooms. I was fairly tired, and after setting my alarm clock for the next morning and making sure all my school supplies were in my backpack, I fell to sleep quickly.

Unfortunately, I didn't stay asleep.

I woke up at 12:45 AM, and I could not go back to sleep. I tossed and turned, then tried laying completely still, kept my eyes close, used breathing techniques, and tried to clear my mind of any and all thoughts in order to lull myself back into the bliss of unconsciousness.

But I still. couldn't. sleep.

Finally admitting defeat, I reached over and grabbed my phone off my bedside table, checking to see if I had any new text messages in the brief period of time I was sleeping.

Nothing.

"What a crock of shit," I grunted, staring up at the ceiling. I glanced around the room, my eyes landing on my camera. I smiled, excitement bubbling within me at the prospect of taking pictures. I'd bought it in high school – saved up any and all money I could over the course of a two years – and had left it at home when I started college. I felt compelled to bring it back with me, though I couldn't tell you why. Well...okay, not entirely. Truth be told, every time I picked the camera up, Edward's words from spring break rang through my head: _"When you're that passionate about something, you can't just give it up, Bella. You have to keep doing it."_

Damn him for being right.

With a huff, I averted my gaze to the laptop on my desk. I briefly contemplated going over to it, but considering my issue was not being able to sleep, I highly doubted it'd be beneficial to shine light directly on my face by means of getting on the internet. Then my eyes landed on my Biology book, and the first thing that popped into my head was a mental image of Edward getting smacked in the face by Rosalie with said book, which caused an eruption of laughter. I wondered what book she had used, and if it was hardback or paperback (though knowing her, it was most likely hardback).

She really was one of a kind.

After my laughter subsided, I laid in my bed, twisting my phone in my hands and staring at the walls as random shadows passed across it from headlights in the parking lot outside. I wondered who the hell would be driving in the parking lot of an apartment complex at this hour, and then, with a slight pang in my chest, I thought, _Edward probably would_. Being back in SF and knowing I was only a short distance away from him was plaguing my thoughts. No matter how hard I tried to repress any thoughts of him, they always pushed through because of that fact, and much to my chagrin, I realized that I _missed _him. Since we'd become friends, we really hadn't even gone a full _day_ without talking to or seeing each other...until now.

Almost subconsciously, I opened my contact list and scrolled down to Edward's name – or rather, 'Really Hot Nerd'. I smirked and chuckled softly, remembering when I'd unintentionally given him that nickname. I wondered if he'd gotten his glasses yet, and if he was wearing them or his contacts.

_You can find out for yourself if you just hit send..._

I tossed my phone onto the mattress and ran my hands over my face. What the hell was I doing? Obviously, if I was even _contemplating_ the concept of calling Edward, I wanted to talk to him...So why was it so damn difficult to just _hit the button_?

I glanced over at my alarm clock, reasoning with myself that if it was past 2 AM, I'd wait to talk to him until tomorrow; it was 1:27. With a deep breath, I smoothed my hand over my mattress until I felt the cool plastic of my phone, picked it up, and hit the send button.

_Ring_. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. _Ring_. Yeah, no 'maybe' about it. _Ring_. _Ring._ Why was I still on the phone? Clearly he wasn't going to—

"'lo?" he answered sleepily.

Oh, shit. I hadn't even thought of anything to say to him in the event he answered. What the hell was I supposed to say?

_Hello would be a good start, idiot._

"Er...I, uh...h-hello. Hi."

Smooth, Bella. Real smooth.

There was silence for a few moments; so quiet that I felt self-conscious even _breathing_ and held the phone away from my mouth slightly so I wouldn't sound like a wild boar in labor on the other end.

"Bella?" he asked, his voice completely alert. "Is that – holy shit, it is. I—what are you doing? Are you back? Is something wrong? What happened, are you oka—"

"Will you shut the hell up?" I snapped. "Christ, what's with the Spanish inquisition?"

"Sorry, I just...I wasn't expecting you to call. I mean, I've been trying to get a hold of you for days and you've been ignoring every one of my calls and texts, and then you finally call in the middle of the night and...I just thought maybe something was wrong. Sorry..." he trailed off, and I could imagine that he was scratching the back of his neck as he always did when he rambled like that.

And then I got pissed off because I was thinking of such endearing things, and because of the fact that my stomach was in knots just at the sound of his voice.

"We need to talk," I said, swallowing heavily.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," he replied quickly, and when I didn't argue, he disconnected the call.

I bit the inside of my cheek and dropped the phone onto the mattress, throwing my forearm over my eyes. Why couldn't "talks" ever be a _good_ thing? Why did they always consist of difficult things to talk about, things that always made you feel like throwing up? Groaning at the pending conversation that was about to take place in...six minutes (noted after stealing a glance at my phone), I kicked the covers off my body and went to grab a pair of track pants, a jacket, put on some socks, and slip on a pair shoes.

My phone chirped, indicating a new text message, and I headed into the living room towards the door, assuming it had been Edward telling me he was here. I grabbed my keys on the way out and closed the door as quietly as I could manage behind me before walking through the lobby. I spotted the silver Volvo parked in the loading zone through the glass door, but I didn't dare allow myself to stare at it for too long. I tucked my hair behind my ears then stuffed my hands in the pockets of my jacket as I walked down the stairs, my gaze on the ground even as I opened the passenger side door and slid in silently.

"You cut your hair," he said immediately, the sound of his voice both soothing my anxiety and pissing me off all over again, "and dyed it."

"Yup," I replied, chewing on my bottom lip as my knee started bobbing up and down of its own accord.

"It looks really good on you," he added softly.

I closed my eyes and swallowed thickly, wishing he'd just stop. He wasn't supposed to be complimenting me. He was supposed to be grovelling and explaining why he fucked me over. I heard him sigh softly and I opened my eyes, staring out the windshield.

"I thought we could go somewhere...to talk," he murmured. "Is Ocean Beach okay, or will you be too cold?"

_Oh, _now_ you care about my well-being?_

I pursed my lips and shook my head slightly, willing the thought away. If this was going to work, I had to leave the animosity behind right now.

"Yeah, that's fine," I said. I turned to stare out the passenger window as the car started forward, attempting at any cost to avoid looking at him until I absolutely had to. I needed to keep my composure for the actual _talk_. Although at this point, with the way my emotions were all over the place concerning him, I wasn't sure how I'd react, but I knew it'd go one of three ways:

I'd either be reduced to tears, hump him, or beat the hell out of him when I finally had to look him in the face.

* * *

**End Notes: **Thanks for reading. Head over to the thread if you want to talk about it. Also, follow me on twitter! Linkage for both are on my home page.


	27. Chapter 25: Amends

**Chapter Notes:** Thank you to Missy for being my wonderful beta. Thank you to my lovah, Hannah, for being my muse and inspiration. Lastly, thank you to all my readers, new and old, for sticking by this story and continuing to read and review. It makes this worth the time and effort that goes into writing a story. Enjoy. xx

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Twilight or any of its affiliates, nor do I own any particularly clever thought right now. Huh.

* * *

_-E-_

Ten minutes.

Ten minutes was what I had to prepare a legit, heartfelt speech that seemed like the most important one to date. Ten minutes was what would lead to determining if Bella would stay. Ten minutes was suddenly my worst enemy.

I hadn't expected this so soon. Don't get me wrong, I was all over it – _obviously_, as I was currently running around the room like a mad man, trying desperately not to fall over myself as I pulled on a pair of pants and socks – but after being subjected to her constant dodging of any communication with me, and with how bad I knew I hurt her, I had expected to have to suffer from the God awful silent treatment for much longer than four days.

Rosalie had instructed me to leave her alone and let her come to me. I didn't like that idea much; why should I just sit by and wait for her to come my way when _I_ was the one who fucked up? Alas, after giving me a pointed look and telling me to shut up or her "generosity" would be non-existent (I already kind of thought it was), I took her word for it and left Bella alone...for two days.

It was hell.

I hadn't realized just how essential she was to my days. They just didn't feel right, complete, without her presence. I'd put off even attempting my Stats homework until today because I was a wimp, and every time I looked at that damn book I got all fucking emo and thought about her ten times more than I already did.

Needless to say, the last thing I expected was to be woken up in the middle of the night by a call from Bella, telling me that we needed to talk. Even in my half-asleep stupor, I knew there was no way in hell I was going to put it off. I'd told her I'd be at her house in ten minutes and, after no argument from her, hung up the phone, jumped out of bed, and scrambled around my room to get ready, then run to her apartment. As I was going down to the lobby, though, tossing my keys back and forth in my hands, I made a split second decision to drive instead, and hit the button for the basement. It was slightly selfish, I'll admit; I needed my opportunity to walk away, sulking, to be non-existent if it didn't go well, and being far away from either of our residences was the only option.

I drove the short distance to her apartment and put the car in park, then text messaged her to let her know I was here. A few moments later, she walked through the lobby door and down the stairs looking nervous, slightly awkward, and absolutely fucking beautiful. My nerves kicked in as I watched her walk towards my car, her gaze on the ground, and even as she got into the car, I couldn't look away. I noted that her hair was down, and I began to smile because I loved it when her hair was down. Then I noticed that it was significantly shorter and brighter, commenting on it at almost the exact same moment. Secretly, I hoped I got some brownie points for noticing, but judging from her less-than-impressed reaction, I highly doubted that was the case.

I then realized that I hadn't even thought of where we were going, and I was sure she would want to know. I tried to think what the most welcoming place to have an undoubtedly uncomfortable conversation would be, and all I could come up with was a beach. I threw the nearest one out there as a suggestion to her, and, after she agreed, started towards Ocean Beach with a sigh.

After a little over ten minutes worth of a painfully silent drive, I parked the car in the south lot at the beach and cut the engine.

"Do you wanna go down, or...?" I trailed off, looking over at Bella.

"Yeah, okay," she nodded, and bent down to roll up her pants and take off her socks and shoes. I did the same, then we both climbed out and started down towards the sand.

The beach was completely deserted, as was expected. It was fucking _freezing_. Most people were smart. They would go inside to talk things out, and even if it didn't work out - hey, at least they keep warm. I...had the bright idea of trying to get myself out of the dog house by causing us both to _freeze_ to death.

I was constantly stealing glances at her as we walked alongside the ocean in silence, though, admittedly, the sound of waves crashing did make the atmosphere much less tense. I wanted her to say something, _anything_, but I knew I didn't have the right to demand her to speak. This had to be on her terms. What I wanted didn't matter right now.

That didn't mean that her feeling so far out of reach even though she was right next to me wasn't driving me out of my fucking mind, though.

"I made a mistake," she said finally, pulling me out of my thoughts. Then what she said sunk in, and I screwed up my face in confusion.

"_What_?" I asked incredulously, my steps faltering. "Are you on dope, Bella? _I'm—_"

"I made a mistake," she repeated loudly – my queue to shut up, "in not allowing you to explain yourself."

Oh.

"I spent days kicking myself in the ass," she continued, "trying to figure out how the hell I'd managed to think there was truly something there when, clearly, I had to have made it up in my mind. And then I realized that it wasn't my fault; I didn't imagine it. I know something was there, and I know _you_ know that."

"I do," I said, probably a little too earnestly, but fuck it. I was desperate.

"So I deserve to know why, then." She stopped walking and looked up at me, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes intense. "Who was she? How long had that been going on? _What_ was going on with you two? And most of all, why didn't you tell me?"

"Bella," I sighed, running a hand down my face, "I told you what it came down to already: I was confused. I mean, I could give you all the sordid details, but honestly, what good is it going to do?"

"You don't really have the right to decide what good something is or isn't going to do for me," she snapped.

"Fair enough," I replied after a few moments, pursing my lips. "Alright, then. I owe you as much."

"Yes, you do," she said curtly.

"You want to know everything?" I asked, disregarding her tone. I deserved it.

"Everything," she said less bitingly.

"Okay," I nodded, exhaling heavily. "Her name is Adrian, and..." I was struggling within myself on whether or not to tell Bella that she was my TA. On one hand, I really didn't want Adrian to get in trouble if it got out. On the other hand, I was trying to get myself out of the deep shit I'd buried myself in _because_ of Adrian; would it really be smart on my part to withhold even _more_ information pertaining to her? Bella wasn't a vindictive person, and I couldn't honestly see that she'd go narc on her out of spite.

With that, my resolve strengthened and I continued, "...and she's my Physics Lab teacher."

I saw Bella's head shoot up, but I didn't dare look at her. If I did, I'd never have the balls to finish this, and she wanted to know. She deserved to know, just as she always had.

"I had a thing for her almost immediately," I sighed, the fact that this was already becoming extremely _awkward_ not escaping me, "and I guess she did too, but...she's my TA, and I'm pretty sure she's not supposed to be consorting with students that way.

"We kept it pretty quiet, since just our _flirting_ had resulted in somebody in the class reporting her - though I did find out a few days ago it was Rosalie's doing...Anyway, I don't know. Around the mid-terms, I went over to her apartment and we hung out. We almost...you know," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck nervously, "but then I got a call from Rosalie saying you got hurt and I left to go check on you before anything really happened."

"When you showed up at my door all frantic?" she asked, and I nodded.

"After that, we went on spring break, and I didn't see her _or_ talk to her that whole time. I was so busy hanging out with you, I hadn't even given her a second thought until she text messaged me at that diner in Oregon, but even then I lied and told her I couldn't talk."

"And then you kissed me," she said quietly.

"And then I kissed you," I repeated, licking my lips.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to," I answered honestly. "All that was running through my head, all that had _been_ running through my head, were thoughts of you, and how beautiful you are, how I always wanted to feel you in some way. I just love being around you, Bella. There's no rhyme or reason to it, except it's just...you.

"When we got back, especially after we kissed the second time, I was so fucking confused. It seemed like overnight you'd gone from just being my friend to being the girl I couldn't stop thinking about; the one who brought out reactions in me I hadn't felt in years. But there was still Adrian; the girl I'd wanted before I even _knew_ you.

"God, I don't know how I didn't see it before. There's so many things I see now that I'd been completely blind to, and I realize now that all of this between us had started a while ago. With you, it's more than just a physical attraction. Yeah, it's definitely there, but I'm emotionally invested, _connected_ with you, as gay as that sounds. With her, it was always only physical. I was too scared to admit that to myself, though, and so I'd honestly convinced myself that I didn't know what I wanted – _who_ I wanted. So I kissed her, because I thought that if I compared my reactions, I'd know for sure. It was probably the dumbest thing I've ever done, and I've done some pretty stupid shit."

I closed my eyes and shook my head, kicking myself in the ass for even putting her in the position to have to hear this. Why was I such a fucking moron?

"How'd that work out for you?" she asked, clearing her throat afterward.

"Fantastic," I snorted. "Absolutely perfect." She didn't reply, though, and I cringed, knowing I really had no right to react that way; I brought this on myself. "I didn't feel anything with her," I continued. "I'd already told her there was somebody else, and that I was really confused before I kissed her. I was literally _milliseconds_ away from pulling away and telling her that there was nothing there for me when you walked in."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" she asked fiercely.

"I didn't think you needed to know," I replied honestly, "and there really wasn't anything _to _tell. Nothing that really concerned you, anyway. Nothing had been going on with us at that point, and what you saw was really the first contact I'd had with her since I took my mid-term before spring break. I didn't _plan_ on that happening, Bella. I didn't plan on being too fucking afraid to admit my own feelings to myself."

"So what, you were just going to bail on her after that?" she laughed humorlessly.

"Not quite as unceremoniously, no," I mumbled, "but I was going to tell her that everything had to stop."

"She knew about me," she stated.

"Technically, yes," I nodded. "I told her about you that day."

"You say that you didn't think I needed to know," she continued, "and to a certain extent, I understand that. But when it _did_ start concerning me, when you were getting confused about your feelings for me and for her, you should have told me, Edward. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared I would lose you," I sighed. "Let's be real, here. You're not the type of person to wait around for that kind of bullshit, you said so yourself. It was fucking selfish, and _wrong_, and I _know_ that, Bella, I know. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you. God, that was the _last_ thing I ever wanted to do."

I clutched at my hair, using it as a physical restraint. I needed something to keep me from bashing myself in the head repeatedly. Bella was silent for a few moments, undoubtedly taking it all in.

"Thank you for telling me," she said finally, halting her strides. "Now it's my turn.

"I deserve somebody who knows that they want me, somebody who can _admit_ to themselves that they want me without having to go and mess around with another girl in order for it to click in their head." She looked directly into my eyes and finished with, "I deserve somebody who's going to tell me the truth before it blows up in their face. Clearly, that's not you."

Ouch. What could I say though? She was right. She deserved that and much, much more than I'd given her.

"You were my friend before all of this," she said, waving her hand dismissively in the air, "and I've realized that it just doesn't feel right not to have you in my life. This would be a dumb thing to ruin a perfectly good friendship over. Shit happens. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm willing to put all of this behind us, ignore it, and go back to how we were before if you are."

No, that was the last fucking thing I wanted. I wanted her to make me grovel, make me work for her, make me prove to her that I _can_ be what she needs; that I _am_ what she wants. But it didn't matter what _I_ wanted. She'd obviously thought this out, and who was I to tell her differently? I deserved this, not having her.

"What choice do I have?" I replied finally, toeing the sand.

"There's always a choice, Edward," she said softly.

"Not for me," I replied, looking down at her with a half-hearted smile and a one-shouldered shrug. "I need you, and so I'll have to go with it."

She nodded, offering me a small smile. "Hug?"

"You shouldn't even have to ask," I murmured, stepping towards her and wrapping my arms around her small frame, burying my nose in her hair. I closed my eyes and inhaled her scent as her arms wrapped around my waist. Her hair smelled a little different – probably from the hair dye – but it still made me feel like all was good in the world. I thought about never feeling this again, never holding her in my arms, and just the notion that I'd almost lost her made my face screw up in pain.

No, this wasn't what I wanted, but as long as I still had her, I'd be okay...even if my heart chipped away piece by piece in the process.

~º~º~

I jiggled my keys and leaned against the wall as I waited for the elevator down in the basement. I never understood why it took so long to come down late at night. It wasn't like a ton of people upstairs were awake. Anybody who _was_ awake and using the elevators at this time of night was either, A) retarded, B) hungry and/or thirsty, or C) a smoker. The smokers that were awake were already at the smoking bench outside the door, though, so that only left A and B. As I stepped inside the shaft once the doors opened, I contemplated which one I was.

Probably a little of both.

My stomach grumbled in response. Clearly I'd need to make a pit stop at the lobby for some late night refreshments. I probably could have found something upstairs, but I didn't feel like looking, and frankly, I needed a pick-me-up in the form of Grandma's Peanut Butter cookies. I hit the button for the lobby and crossed my arms over my chest, thinking back on the last half an hour.

Bella and I had continued walking and talking on the beach for a while after I'd agreed, slightly against my will, to "forget" about anything romantic that had gone on between us in the past few weeks - right, like _that _was really gonna happen – before we couldn't stomach the weather anymore and hurried back to the car. I'd dropped her off, awkwardly hugging her in the car but still managing a kiss to her forehead, because that was all I could really afford trying to do.

I sighed as the elevator dinged and the doors opened on the lobby floor, then stepped out, slouching as I trudged sluggishly towards the room housing the vending machines. I looked towards the front desk to do the obligatory nod of acknowledgment, but did a double take as I saw Rosalie sitting there, mouth slightly agape as her glazed-over eyes stared at the computer screen in front of her. I raised an eyebrow and veered towards the desk, snorting internally at the fact that she hadn't even noticed me.

"Are you okay?" I asked loudly, startling her.

"Fucking Jesus," she breathed, clutching at her chest.

"Are you, really?" I asked. "Does Emmett know? Or is that just some kinky nickname you have for him?"

"Fuck off," she said simply, rolling her eyes. "You scared the crap out of me. What do you want?"

"I just figured it was better for me to snap you out of your fantasizing than some random guy holding a gun to your head," I scoffed. "I'll remember not to bother next time."

"Yeah, thanks. Whatever. What are you doing up so late?"

"Baking a cake," I retorted. "It called for Dr. Pepper and I didn't have any on hand, so here I am."

"Cute, fuckass, real cute," she sneered. "What the hell crawled up your ass and died?"

"Everything," I mumbled propping my elbows on the desk and rubbing my hands over my face. "I talked to Bella."

"Already?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, she called me around 1:30 and said she wanted to talk, so I picked her up and we went to the beach."

"And?" she pressed. I sighed and folded my arms on the desk, looking down at her with a forlorn expression.

"She wanted me to explain myself, so I tried as best as I could. I told her everything. And then she said to just forget about everything that happened because I'm not the type of person she deserves."

"Ouch," she cringed. "That almost hurts _me_ a little. Almost."

"I appreciate the compassion," I muttered, pursing my lips.

"Yeah, well, when you deserve it, you'll get it," she quipped.

"Touché. Anyway, I couldn't exactly argue that, so...I guess I'm supposed to forget it ever happened and stop having feelings for her. Easier said than done, huh?"

"Are you stupid?" she asked, staring up at me blankly.

"Uh...sorry?" I said in confusion. What the hell was her deal? I knew she enjoyed berating people, that was part of her charm – cue loudest scoff known to mankind – but shit...

"No, you are _not_ supposed to forget all of that, you half-wit. Her saying she deserves better is supposed to drive you to want to _show_ her you're good for her, not just bitch out and agree. God, no wonder you got caught, you're dumb as shit when it comes to this kind of stuff. I almost feel a little bad for you. Al—"

"—most, yeah, I got it," I snapped.

"Let me put it to you this way," she started, "do you think you're good for her?"

"Yes, but—"

"Do you think you can make her happy? When you're not acting like a douche, that is," she added.

"Yes," I said, glaring at her. "But it's not—"

"Yes, it _is_," she argued. "As her friend, I care about what is in her best interest. I think you are good for her, and she is good for you. You just have to convince her that you are. So yes, it _is _that simple."

"Rosalie," I sighed, "I don't have the right to try and convince her otherwise. This isn't about me. This is all about her."

"Exactly. And _you are_ what she needs. You're what she wants. If you weren't, it wouldn't have hurt her so bad. So stop being a pansy and figure out what the hell you're going to do to win her back, dammit," she demanded, smacking her hand down on the desk and looking up at me with furrowed eyebrows.

I stared down at her, chewing on the corner of my bottom lip, for a few moments. "You really think I can do it?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be suggesting it," she shrugged. "I wouldn't find much pleasure in watching you bust your ass just to humiliate yourself."

I looked at her skeptically.

"I wouldn't!" she said, affronted. "Okay, maybe I would if it was a stranger, but I wouldn't enjoy it happening to _you_; not with Bella, at least. Maybe with the lab rat. Scratch that – _definitely_ with the lab rat."

I looked on at her, completely unamused.

"Unfortunately for you, that wasn't quite how it went down, hence the reason you're in this crap predicament. Dumbass. You should have taken the hint after the cock block. Dream dialing," she snorted, which turned into chuckles, progressing into full-on chortles. "Ah, man, I fucking kill myself."

"Are you finished?" I asked irritably. "I mean, I'm glad you're finding humor in my misery and all, but I think I'd like to get my cookies now, then go upstairs and die."

"Have fun," she cackled, shooing me towards the vending machines. I rolled my eyes and turned away, intent on getting back up to my room as quickly as possible. After purchasing the cookies and a bottled water – I'd never get to sleep if I got a soda, as much as I wanted one – I walked back into the lobby, glaring at Rosalie as I passed her still cackling form, and headed to the elevators.

I plopped down on the couch once I got into the dorm and turned on the TV, propping my feet on the coffee table as I began munching on Grandma's deliciousness in a bag. Aqua Teen Hunger Force was on, though halfway over, and I watched the remainder of it before flicking off the TV, throwing away my trash and heading to bed.

Tomorrow. I'd figure out how to win Bella over tomorrow.

~º~º~

All I could think about as I sat in Statistics, trying desperately not to fall asleep though I was continuously spacing out, was that 'tomorrow' had come much too soon. Oh, and how much I fucking _hated_ morning classes, but that wasn't out of the ordinary.

I'd stopped taking notes a while back – it was a waste of time since I could never make out what the hell they were supposed to mean anyway – and opted instead to draw random shit in my notebook; it created the illusion that I was actually taking notes, even though I rarely ever looked up. Though most of the time Professor Hoag was oblivious to anything but his rambling, there were those few times when he noticed the people who weren't paying attention to him at all, as there were only about fifteen people in the class (we'd started with at least _fifty_, half of which dropped within the first six weeks). Today, though, there were no irrelevant doodles on my paper; instead, there was a 'To-Do' list of sorts:

_How To Get Bella Back_

_Stop being a fucking idiot._

_Make her see that I've stopped being a fucking idiot._

_**CUT OFF ADRIAN**__**. **__(Let her know, though, since Bella's apparently big on that.)_

_Keep at least an arm's length away from any girl if at all possible (exceptions: Alice, Rosalie, and, of course, Bella)._

_Do sweet shit to show her how into her I am, even if it makes me look really gay at the time – it'll be worth it if it works._

_Persist and Persevere!_

_Clearly I can't think of anything else, hence #6. What the fuck is that shit? 'Persist and Persevere'; I sound like an idiot._

_...Revert back to #1 – STOP BEING A FUCKING IDIOT!_

I threw my pen down on the desk and covered my face with my hands, groaning softly.

"Something you'd like to share with the class?" I heard croaked from my left.

"My life is ending," I grumbled loudly. Snickers erupted across the room and I dropped my hands onto the desk, looking up into the unamused face of my teacher. "Not that it matters," I added. "Sorry, sir."

He glowered at me for a few seconds before walking away and continuing his rambling. I closed my notebook and stuffed it in my bag along with my pen, hardly caring about keeping up the pretense. After checking the clock and seeing that there was only twenty minutes left of class, I thought, Fuck it, grabbed my bag, slipped out of my desk and walked out of class. It wasn't like I was going to learn anything from him anyway.

I stopped at Café Rosso, since there was virtually no line, and grabbed a coffee before strolling over to the stairs in front of the Humanities building and perching on the top step to wait for Jasper and Emmett. As I sipped on my coffee, I stared down at the ground, thinking about my ridiculous list. There were a few points that were legitimate, namely the one about cutting Adrian off. I was hardly looking forward to that; what if she got pissed and failed me out of spite?

_Probably should have thought about that before you shoved your tongue in her mouth, genius._

Suck it, inner-voice.

"Hey," a female voice said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up and smiled, seeing Bella's face smiling cautiously down at me, Rosalie at her side.

"Hey," I replied, my eyes diverting from her face to her hair. "Wow, your hair's really red in the light."

"Yeah," she murmured, fingering the ends awkwardly and twisting her lips to the side. Rosalie looked at me like I was the dumbest person she'd ever met – a look I was unfortunately getting used to – and I cringed, realizing that my comment was probably misconstrued.

"It's nice," I said quickly, "I like it."

"Yeah, you mentioned that last night," she teased, giving me a half-smirk. "What are you doing?"

"Drinking coffee," I said, holding up my cup for emphasis, "and waiting for Jasper and Emmett."

"Emmett's not coming," Rosalie replied blandly, "he has an appointment with a counselor to change his major. Idiot."

"Why do you know this and I don't?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, finishing off my coffee and standing up.

"Do I look like I have the ability to solve your life's questions?"

"Wha—why are you such a...? You know what? Nevermind. I don't care," I grumbled, shaking my head and tossing my empty cup into the bin.

"Good boy," she said with a sarcastic smile, before turning to Bella and telling her she'd talk to her later, then walking off.

"She's in a bad mood," Bella explained.

"A permanent one," I added, rolling my eyes. "Anyway..."

"There's Jasper," she said softly, her gaze over my right shoulder. "I better get to class, too."

"Okay," I nodded, "I'll see you later."

"You're not gonna cancel today to make out with another girl, are you?"she said jokingly, but I flinched just the same, shaking my head.

_Not_ funny, Bella.

"Bad joke," she muttered. "Right, I'm going now. Bye."

She walked off quickly and I turned around, staring at her retreating form as Jasper halted at my side.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Sure," I shrugged. _I only want to punch myself in the nuts repeatedly, but it's all good._ "Let's go. Emmett's skipping."

He nodded and we started towards the doors in silence, hands shoved in our pockets.

"By the way," I started, "your sister is in an extremely bitchy mood today."

"And that's surprising because...?" he scoffed. "Try living with her for 18 years, then complain."

"No, that's okay," I chuckled, turning into the stairwell.

"I think she got it from our grandma," he mused. "She's kind of a hag, too."

I barked out a laugh and ruffled his hair. Thank God for Jasper.

*

Three o'clock came around neither slowly nor fast, but the session in itself seemed to fly by. I was lucky in the sense that I already knew what my homework was for the week – the syllabus had the homework for each week - but Bella wasn't quite as lucky; I had basically stopped listening to the lecture entirely and relied on her to be my teacher. I made a mental note to recommend she get a significant pay raise if she tutored next semester, assuming I passed this damn class.

By the end of the session we'd gotten through a little over a quarter of my homework, and I felt I had a firm enough grasp on confidence intervals to successfully complete it by myself. I signed the usual papers and packed up my things, then stood and prepared to say bye to Bella.

"I'll follow you in, I wanna talk to Ang for a little bit," she said. I nodded and walked across the hall, greeting Angela and bending over to sign out.

"Bella?" a voice questioned from behind me. I dropped the pen and whirled around with furrowed eyebrows. I hadn't even noticed anybody else in the room. I looked from Bella's shocked face to the unidentified male, then back to Bella. My face hardened and my jaw clenched; I was prepared to beat the hell out of this guy if necessary. Bella's response to the douche packer a few seconds later hardly made me any less ready to strike.

"Jace?"

Jace..._Jace_? Where the hell had I heard that name? I looked him over, a slight scowl on my face. He dressed really stupid, like those Abercrombie douche bags. Then it hit me. _Abercrombie and Gay._ I cursed under my breath; I'd forgotten all about him. How the hell had I _forgotten_ about him?

"Wow," he said, looking her over with a small smile, "you look different."

"It's the hair," she replied, reaching up to finger the tips. It must have been some newly acquired nervous reaction.

"It looks amazing on you," he complimented.

Dammit! He was a smooth mother fucker, and her blush only confirmed it. Meanwhile, I'd practically insulted her - completely unintentionally, of course. She'd barely batted a damn eye when _I _complimented her. Clearly, I was playing the game wrong.

"Okay, I'm going," I announced, staring at _Jace_ with narrowed eyes before looking at Bella. She looked over at me, her eyebrows raised slightly.

"Okay. I'll see you later, probably," she nodded, then turned her attention back to Jace. I scowled and grunted a goodbye to Angela before damn near running out of the room, into the hall.

I hadn't expected competition - why, I didn't know. Bella was beautiful, and it was beyond ignorant and slightly arrogant for me to even imagine that I was the only one vying for her attention. Unfortunately, that was me in a nutshell, and I hadn't considered it at all until Fabio decided to make his presence known.

I bounded down the steps, not paying any attention to anybody else, then burst out of the doors and into the sunlight. I'd need a new plan, and fast; and in light of recent events, I knew I needed to enlist the help of a certain bitchy blond and psychic pixie.

Fucking Metro Undie Boy.

* * *

**End Notes: **You know the drill, lovelies. Review, follow me on Twitter, etc. etc. Until next time...


	28. Chapter 26: Coffee and Severing Ties

**Chapter Notes: **First off, I apologize that it's been so long...and I still don't have much to offer you guys. This chapter is only a little over 4000 words - 10 pages in Word. But it's something, right? Right? Ehhh. Thank you to my wonderful beta, Missy, who gives me such amazing and in depth feedback to my chapters and is there in the blink of an eye when I come out of seclusion. Along with making corrections and suggestions that better the chapter, of course. My mom has been bitching nonstop about me finishing this story, or at least trying to write on it, for the last week, so she's partly why I decided to try to write on this. N, I told you that you're the reason I finished this chapter. So if it's a piece of shit, it's all on you, my friend. haha. Enjoy, babies. xx

**Disclaimer**: All I own are my words. Everything else is owned by SMeyer and a bunch of other people I don't know.

* * *

_-B-_

What in the hell?

I continued staring at Jace after Edward stomped out of the room, torn between wanting to go after Edward and ask what was up his ass and wanting to know what Jace was doing, standing next to the front desk at one of my places of employment. The latter of the two won out – I could easily ask Edward later on what his deal was.

"What—how did you know where I was?" I stuttered. A sheepish look crossed his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I remembered you saying you were a Stats tutor," he said with a shrug. "I may or may not have asked around to find out where the tutoring center was."

I stared at him with raised eyebrows, a small smirk on my face. I knew that if it had been anybody else – someone like Mike Newton, for example – I would have been extremely creeped out and called the police to report being stalked. The fact that he remembered such an insignificant thing in our conversation, much less went to the trouble to _find_ me, was flattering.

"I get off in a little under an hour," I stated, still smirking. "Can you wait, or do you have somewhere to be?"

"No, I can wait," he replied with a grin – oh God, I'd forgot about the dimples! - and took a seat against the wall.

"Okay," I said quietly, biting my bottom lip as I began backing up slowly, then turned around and walked across the hall.

For the remaining forty-five minutes of my shift I sat at my table, wishing somebody would do a walk-in and becoming annoyed when they didn't. I had a hot guy across the hall waiting for me and I was stuck here, alone, ignoring Yorkie's blatant attempts to get my attention. I had all my shit packed up so that when the clock hit 5 PM, I could haul ass out of there – and haul ass, I did.

"Okay," I replied slightly out of breath as I rounded the desk and slid past Angela to clock out. "I'll see you at home, Ang."

She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, nodding as she muttered a goodbye. I glanced at her curiously before shrugging and making my way towards Jace, who had stood up.

"Ready?" he asked. I glanced up at him with a slightly nervous half-smile and nodded. He smiled down at me with a nod of his own, waved and politely said goodbye to Angela, then placed his hand on my lower back, ushering me into the hall.

"So..." I trailed off, trying to break the awkward silence as we started down the stairwell.

"So," he repeated, "the offer for the coffee date is still on the table. Is your reply the same?"

"Coffee sounds good," I nodded, glancing slyly at him with a grin.

"Great," he chuckled, reaching forward and pushing the building door open for me, as I nodded my thanks to him. I caught a whiff of his cologne as I passed, immediately closing my eyes and moaning softly.

He smelled delicious.

"So what's been up? Other than the obvious – work and school," he said, nodding towards HSS as we started down the sloped concrete, so close to one another that I could feel the heat radiating off of him.

"That's pretty much it," I laughed. "I went home this last weekend to visit my mom, but other than that I'm just a boring old hag."

"'Old' and 'hag' are hardly the words I'd choose to describe you," he mused, winking playfully at me. I felt my face flush and rolled my eyes at myself; how retarded could I get?

"What about you?" I asked. "What have you been up to?"

He began talking about his recent activities, and I took that opportunity to appraise him. He was in form fitting jeans – not too tight but nowhere near loose – and a long sleeve gray checkered shirt, the sleeves rolled and buttoned at his elbows. His hair was slightly longer than I remembered, but it was still short and free of any products, making it look extremely soft. I had the sudden urge to stroke it, then felt like a freak for even thinking that. I was sure it'd go over _extremely_ well if I cut him off by asking if I could pet his hair like he was a fucking dog.

"Like what you see?" I heard him say teasingly. I was sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights as I looked up at him, slightly slack-jawed at his humorous expression. I recovered quickly by pursing my lips and rolling my eyes, fighting a smirk.

"You sound like Edward," I retorted, then cringed as I realized what I'd just said. What a way to start off a date. Wait, was it a date? Well, _whatever_ it was, I should not start off by comparing him to the guy I was trying not to think about; the guy I'd had a brief fling with.

"Boyfriend?" Jace asked coolly.

"No, just a friend," I muttered, embarrassed. "No boyfriend to speak of," I added in a stronger voice.

"Girlfriend?" he asked, his tone clearly more relaxed.

"Yup, and she's hot as hell."

"Can I watch?"

"Pervert!" I said loudly with a laugh, smacking his chest. Oh Christ, I'd forgotten about the muscles.

"It's in my DNA. Alright, what's your poison?"

"Sorry?" I asked, confused.

"Coffee," he specified, gesturing to the left. I hadn't even realized we'd made it to Café Rosso. "What do you want?"

"I'll get it," I insisted, waving him off and bringing my bag to the front, searching for my wallet.

"No," he argued, grabbing my forearm gently and pulling it away from my bag. "I asked you out on a coffee date; I'm paying."

"Fine," I sighed dramatically. "But next time, I pay."

"Deal," he agreed with a wink. "Now what do you want?"

After telling him what drink I wanted, I gestured that I was going to grab us a table while he waited to order. Then I walked towards my favorite spot. I smirked as I set my bag down in the seat facing the Humanities building. I'd been fully prepared to hear him say something cheesy like, "Oh, so there's going to _be _a next time?" but I was pleasantly surprised by his response, and a little turned on, if I was being honest. It was almost as if he _expected_ it; like he was so confident in his ability to charm me that there wasn't a question of _if_ there'd be a "next time," more so _when_.

I settled into the chair and drummed my fingers lazily on the table. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, inhaling deeply. God, I loved this city.

Jace returned a few minutes later with two cups in hand, and I reached out greedily, basking in the feel of the warmth against my hands. It wasn't cold by any means – it was the second week of April – but the constant breeze tended to give me the chills if I was sitting still. I thanked him for the coffee after taking a delicious gulp, and he simply chuckled and told me I was more than welcome.

We ventured back into casual discussion with no awkward pauses, and I wondered what it was about him that made conversation flow so easily. I knew I wasn't exactly the easiest person in the world to talk to, but he seemed genuinely interested in everything and anything I had to say. He remembered things I hadn't even remembered telling him – I'd been too flustered by his unconstitutionally good looks to remember much of anything about that flight – and was intent on learning more about me and my life.

We continued talking and joking around long after our coffee had disappeared, and I briefly wondered how long we'd been sitting out here when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, noting that I had a new text message, then checked the time. It was ten minutes to 6 PM; we'd been here for forty-five minutes. I smiled, loving the fact that all that time spent talking to him had barely felt like any time at all, as I opened the text message I'd received.

_**I need help.**_

My smile was replaced with a blank stare at my screen and a raised eyebrow. Of course, Edward _would_ text me. He had impeccable timing, as always. I rolled my eyes and quickly typed out a reply.

_**With?**_

He replied before I even had a chance to clear the screen.

_**Wiping my ass. **_

I scrunched up my nose.

_**Ew. No thanks.**_

I stared at the phone, waiting for it to go off again. After a few moments of silence, I shoved it back in my pocket, looking back up at Jace.

"Sorry about that, I—"

My pocket vibrated again, only this time, it continually vibrated.

"Mother fu—seriously?" I hissed under my breath, fishing my phone out of my pocket once more. 'Really Hot Nerd' was flashing on the screen, and I huffed before excusing myself through clenched teeth, standing up, and walking away from the table.

"What?" I demanded immediately upon answering the phone.

"Hello, sweetheart," he said sarcastically. "How nice to hear your voice."

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you can. Namely with the rest of my Stats homework."

"You seemed to understand it just fine a few hours ago," I pointed out.

"That was then; this is now," he retorted.

"Uh huh. You're smart, you can figure it out."

"No," he argued, "I need your help."

"I'm busy."

"With the metrosexual?"

"Shut up, he's beautiful," I said, though I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.

"I heard that, don't try and front," he joked. "Whatever. Come over."

"No, I'm on a date. As it is, I'm being incredibly rude by even talking to you."

"Great, he'll probably never want to take you out again," he said cheerfully. "_Come over_."

"What part of 'I'm on a date' isn't clear to you?"

"Hey, if I _recall_, I lost the opportunity to get laid because I came running to your rescuse..._all the way from Berkeley, _at that," he stressed.

"That was your bad," I said, scoffing.

"Oh, alright. I see how it is."

"Do you? That only took about ten years," I replied sarcastically.

"Then your date has probably left you, gotten married, and had children by now, so you might as well come over."

I sighed and folded an arm over my stomach, tilting my head to the side. "You're not going to leave me alone unless I come over, are you?"

"You know me so well."

"Fine," I relented. "Give me fifteen minutes."

"I love you," he said cheekily.

"Bite me," I huffed.

"That can be arra—"

I hung up the phone before he had a chance to finish. Shaking my head and chuckling softly, I turned around and headed back toward the table where Jace sat, patiently waiting. I immediately felt like an asshole for even taking the call, much less agreeing to leave. I decided Edward could wait an extra ten minutes while I tried to figure out a way to drop hints, suggesting we mutually agree to part ways in that time frame.

"Everything cool?" he asked, smiling at me as I sat down.

"Yeah, thanks," I replied, smiling back.

"Do you need to go, or...?"

"Not right now," I assured him.

"If you do, it's cool," he insisted, glancing at his watch. "It wouldn't kill me to get home and start on the ton of homework I have. Well, it _might_, actually..."

I laughed and shook my head, crossing my legs under the table. "I can afford another ten or fifteen minutes if you can."

"No arguments here," he said with a broad grin.

We attempted to get conversation flowing again, but after five minutes or so we realized that it wasn't going to happen. As both of us chuckled, we agreed to say good night and stood up, gathering our things.

"I had a good time, Bella," he said, looking over at me with a smile.

"Hey, isn't that _my_ line?" I joked, nudging his elbow with mine as we walked to our parting path.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that. Wanna try again?" he laughed.

"No, the moment has passed," I said with a sigh, then smirked to let him know I was still joking.

"Next time we'll have to step it up a notch; a classier location."

"Starbucks it is," I said seriously with a nod. He laughed heartily and I cracked a grin. "I'm still a broke ass college student, ya know."

"Aren't we all? Ah, well. I...will talk to you later, then."

"Okay," I agreed, twisting my lips to the side. I wasn't sure what was appropriate. I guess we'd technically had our first date, but it felt too soon, too casual a date for a first kiss.

"Would it be inappropriate for me to hug you?"

"No," I replied with a laugh, looking up at him shyly and thinking it was adorable that he'd asked permission.

"Good," he replied, grinning. His arms enveloped me, holding me just tight enough against his warm, perfectly sculpted body. I wrapped my arms around his waist and breathed in his scent subtly, my eyelids fluttering closed as his cologne infiltrated my senses. God, I _needed_ to find out what the fuck kind of cologne he wore, dammit!

Much too soon he pulled away, but before our bodies disconnected completely, I felt his warm soft lips against my cheek. He lingered there for a few moments before backing off completely, a burst of cold air hitting me and making me shiver slightly at the loss of heat. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, slightly dazed.

"Bye, Bella," he said softly.

"Bye, Jace," I replied, lifting a hand in what was supposed to be a wave, though my arm went limp and lowered to my side immediately. He began to walk backwards, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets and his gaze still locked on me. He half-grinned and waved timidly before turning around completely and walking out of sight. I bit my bottom lip, a grin spreading across my face, and started towards Towers. I reveled in the feel on his lips on my skin as I walked, and even as I rode the elevator up to the thirteenth floor. As I walked down the hall, I began thinking about how Jace's lips would feel on mine. I was getting entirely too flustered as I knocked on the door, somewhat out of it, and leaned against the wall to the left.

"I think I aged another fifteen years waiting for you."

I looked up into Edward's vibrant green eyes, full of mischief, and suddenly my thoughts went from imagining what kissing Jace would be like to remembering what kissing Edward _had_ been like. I remembered with too much clarity how his bottom lip felt caught between my teeth, how attuned to each other's motions we were, how gentle and teasing his tongue was against mine. It was too much, too fast.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

_Snap out of it, Bella!_ I ordered myself. I blinked a few times, shaking my head slightly, then looked back up at him. _Don't think about it, don't look at his mouth, stay _away _from dangerous territory, you idiot!_

"Fine," I responded, clearing my throat. "I'm fine."

"Are you gonna come in, or are you planning on standing out there all evening? I mean, I guess I could bring all my stuff to the door, but..."

"Ha _ha_," I said, a sarcastic smile on my face before I rolled my eyes and pushed past him. "Asshole."

"And you love it," he said, and I could tell from his tone that he had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"You wish," I retorted. Psh. Like I was ever going to let him know he was right.

* * *

-_E_-

I used to love Wednesdays. Now, it seemed, I was constantly dreading hump day. For one thing, no humping was going on – at least in my neck of the woods – but mainly, it was because I had to go to lab. The portable classroom grew larger as I neared it, and I could feel my face scrunch up in distaste. Just the sight of it had me subconsciously slowing my strides and leaning back.

Why did I ever love Wednesdays?

"You alright, man?" Jasper asked, staring at me with a quirked eyebrow. "You look like you just smelled a skunk."

"I'm fine," I replied. "Just debating if I can afford to skip this class today."

"Stop being a bitch and just get it over with," he said. I looked over at him, startled by his blunt statement. From Emmett, I would expect something like that and not even be phased, but it was completely out of character for Jasper. "What?" he continued with a shrug. "I saw your list."

"Nice," I muttered, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you're going to have to do it eventually, and you can't really move on with your plan of action until you blow this chick off."

"I know," I conceded. "But I'm a coward and I don't want to."

Jasper laughed and clapped a hand behind my neck, squeezing it slightly before dropping his arm back to his side. I lifted a hand lazily in lieu of a wave and Jasper offered me a quick, "See ya," then started up the stairs towards Thornton Hall. I groaned to myself and threw my head back, slowing my strides even more as I continued on towards the portables.

"Just do it!" I heard Jasper shout from behind me.

"Can't I just write a note or something?" I shouted back, turning around to face him while walking backward.

"And say what? 'You suck; Bella wins. PS, lose my number'?"

"Do you think that would work?"

"Go to class, asshole," he laughed, pulling the door to the building open and walking inside. I smirked and turned back around, sighing heavily as I strolled to class at a normal speed. I walked up the ramp, muttering to myself to grow a pair, and walked through the door with a new-found determination. Now my only obstacle was actually _having_ the conversation.

*

I stayed seated, tapping my fingers nervously on the counter as my classmates packed up and slowly filed out of the room. Adrian stayed at the front of the room, going through papers, until the last student walked out. She looked up then, set the papers aside, and slowly walked toward me.

"Hey, you," she greeted, folding her arms on the counter.

"Hey," I replied. It was silent for a few moments. She was probably eying me skeptically – I would have done the same in her position – but I didn't know any better because I was looking everywhere else _but_ at her. Whatever. It was enough that I was even about to have this talk; nobody said I had to stare deeply into her eyes as I did so.

"What's up?" she asked slowly.

_Here it goes_.

"I, uh..." I trailed off, then cleared my throat. "We need to talk."

"Ouch," she said in a somewhat joking tone. I looked up briefly and she scrunched up her face. "Nothing good ever comes of those words."

"I suppose it depends on how you look at it," I countered. It was true. Just because I didn't want her anymore didn't mean nobody else would. Someone else _definitely_ would.

"Right. Go on with it, then. I have a feeling I already know what you're going to say, anyway."

I hung my head slightly before looking back up at her with a defeated sigh.

"First, can I just apologize for...all of this?" I said. "I'm sorry this turned into such a mess, and I'm sorry for running out on you last week. That was a dick move, considering the situation we were in."

She looked down and twisted her mouth to the side, nodding slightly. "Was that her?"

"Yeah," I said softly, picking at my arm to distract myself from thinking about that god-awful turn of events. "That was her."

"Well she must be something special for you to run out on me _twice_ for her," she said with a small smirk.

I chuckled and shook my head. God, I was a fucking moron for not seeing it sooner. "She is. I'm sorry, Adrian. I wasn't being fair to either of you. I don't know when I turned into such an asshole. But I'm trying to make this right, as right as I _can_ make it, anyway. I want her..._only_ her. This...whatever we had...it can't happen anymore."

"Ah," she sighed after a few moments. "Even when you prepare yourself to hear it, it still sucks."

"I'm sorry," I replied lamely. I didn't know what else I could say.

"Don't be," she argued, shaking her head. "I doubt anything would have really come of it, honestly. It's better in the long-run. I'll live."

"You sure about that? I mean, you're not going to go into cardiac arrest after I leave, right?" I teased, bumping her elbow with mine in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I can't promise anything," she said dramatically, "but I'll try to pick up the pieces and move on with my life."

"That's all I ask," I said with a grin. She inhaled deeply through her nose, a small smile on her face, and we stared at each other for a while. My phone buzzed in my pocket, snapping me out of the moment, and I pulled it out of my pocket.

_**Where are you, asshole? You better not be ditching, I'm bored.**_

I grinned and replied to Bella's text, letting her know I wasn't ditching and I was on my way. Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I slid off my stool and grabbed my bag off the floor.

"I gotta get going," I said. "I'm late for my tutoring session."

"Okay," she replied, straightening up. I stared at her, furrowing my eyebrows slightly, wondering if I should give her a hug or not. Then I remembered my stupid list, and figured it probably wasn't the brightest idea to have any physical contact with her at this moment. It'd be just my luck that Rosalie would barge in this time, and that...would be a disaster.

"Alright. See you next week. And...thank you...for understanding."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving her hand and rolling her eyes with a small smile. "Get out of my class."

I chuckled and nodded quickly, threw up a hand in a wave, and made my way out. My phone vibrated again, signaling another text message.

_**Well, you need to hurry. You're fuckin' up!**_

Yeah, maybe I was. But I was on my way to redemption and I'd be damned if I was going to fuck up with her again. I was one step closer (one _huge_ step, in my opinion) to getting her...even if she didn't know it.

* * *

**End Notes**: Love it, hate it...whatever, just review. :) xx


	29. Chapter 27: Surprises

**Chapter Notes: **I'm sorry I made y'all wait so long for an update. (On the up side, at least it wasn't as long as the last time!) Shit happened that made me not want to even think about this story, much less write it, but I realized that I owed it to all of you who have stuck by me and this story to keep it going. None of that shit matters, anyway. So this chapter, and every chapter, is dedicated to _you. _You're the reason I had the drive to continue writing this story all the way through, and you'll be my drive to finish it. As usual, thank you to my lovah, Hannah. She was awesome enough to beta this chapter for me so that I could get it out for you guys. My regular beta has gone MIA! Anyway, enjoy, babies. xx

**Disclaimer:** Twilight belongs to SMeyer. I own nothing but my thoughts...and sometimes, it feels like I don't even own those. But I digress.

* * *

_-E-_

"Alright, what's your problem? Something is up."

I looked up from my cup of coffee, slightly startled. Alice was staring at me expectantly, one eyebrow raised, waiting for me to answer her. I darted my eyes from side to side, shaking my head subtly.

"There's no problem," I replied, taking a sip of my coffee.

"You're acting suspicious," she stated, her eyebrows furrowing.

"You're reading too much into things," I countered.

"Don't lie to me, you ass," she growled, then leaned across the table quickly to flick me in the forehead. I hissed in protest, rubbing the injury as I glared at her.

"Was that really necessary?"

"For liars, yes," she replied calmly.

"I'm not lying to you!" I slammed my hands on the table in exasperation. "My God, have you always been such a pain in my ass?"

"I'd like to think so." She gave me a cheeky grin and I rolled my eyes, unable to stop the smirk forming on my lips. "Seriously, though, what's going on? I know you, and I know..._this_" - she waved her hand up and down, referring to my posture - "so I think after over a decade of friendship, I know when something's up with you."

I sighed and picked at the plastic lid on my coffee cup.

"This is difficult for me," I muttered. I inhaled deeply and puffed my cheeks as I exhaled slowly. "Alright. I need your help with...something." I peeked up at her from under my eyelashes and she was staring back at me with raised eyebrows, motioning for me to continue.

"What is this 'something' you speak of?"

"Um...Bella," I mumbled, swallowing thickly.

"Bella?" she repeated.

"Yeah. I, uh...I need your help in figuring out how to win her back. Clearly nothing I do is working. I got the 'we should just be friends and forget anything happened' speech." I cringed slightly at the memory as I took another sip of coffee.

"That's not what she wants."

"Oh, I think it is. She's all over that stupid MUB now."

"I know females, Edward. And _you_ should know by now that when women say things like that, they want the exact opposite. It's a test, intentionally or not. She wants to see if you're serious about being with her – if you'll fight for her."

"Well that's stupid," I said bluntly. "I already laid shit out for her. What's the point of rejecting me if she didn't mean it?"

"Who knows," she said with a shrug. "That's just how it is. There's no use in questioning it. Wait, what the hell is a MUB?"

"Metro Undie Boy," I elaborated. "This stupid guy she met on the plane that's up her ass now. He's ridiculous."

"Jealous, are we?" she questioned with a grin.

"Hardly," I scoffed. "He's just not her type. She can do better."

"Like _you_, I suppose?"

"Obviously."

She laughed and shook her head at me, pushing her empty coffee cup back and forth between her hands. "Okay, so you need help. Why exactly was that hard for you?"

"Well...c'mon, Ali. I don't want to sound arrogant or anything, but I've never exactly had an issue with a girl I want _not_ wanting me. I know I haven't been involved in a significant amount of romantic endeavors, but shit. I'm usually having to run away from them, not chase them down."

"Way to stay humble," she said sarcastically. "And by the way, that sounded extremely arrogant. True as it may be, you never, ever admit that out loud. You'll do well to remember that, my friend."

I stared blankly at her before continuing. "My _point_ is that it's kind of a huge blow to my ego that I can't get this girl. And before you ask," I continued quickly as I saw her mouth open in protest, "no, that's not why I want her. If that were the case, I wouldn't be embarrassing myself further by having to ask for help, and I certainly wouldn't have told Adrian that we couldn't have anything because of Bella."

"You dropped the lab rat?" Alice asked in surprise.

"Yes," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I dropped the lab rat."

"Good boy," she grinned, patting my hand. She stood up and motioned for me to follow as she made her way to the garbage can to toss out her cup. I finished my coffee off and tossed it in the trash as well, trailing behind her as she exited the shop.

"I just like her, you know?" I said, putting on my sunglasses. "Everything about her – even her goddamn crazy moods. They make her...her. She's clumsy, and witty, and hard-headed, and a strong person. I like how I feel, how I _am_ around her. I know I had my chance and I blew it, maybe beyond repair, but I won't just accept it and give up. Not without trying my hardest."

"I'm pretty sure she'd drop this Jace character in a second if you told her that," Alice said, nudging my arm with her elbow.

"Yeah, well, I'm saving that speech as a last resort," I joked.

"Maybe she's just after him because of his name," she mused. "Jace is a much sexier name than Edward. Sorry."

"Well I'm so sorry my parents didn't give me a smoldering hot name. I guess I'll have to add 'change name to something more appealing' to my list," I retorted sarcastically.

"I agree. Nothing says 'I love you' more than changing your name for someone. Do you think they make a card for that?"

"Dunno. Walgreens is right there, why don't you go look?" I joked.

She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, cocking her head to the side with a contemplative look on her face, before promptly turning and entering through the automatic doors.

"What the – I didn't mean literally!" I exclaimed, following her into Walgreens with a bewildered expression. "Alice, I can tell you with about 99.9 percent certainty that this store does not have a card for that. And it doesn't even matter! That's the dumbest idea—"

"I'm not looking for that, dumbass," she scolded, kicking her foot back and nailing me right under my shin. I hunched over with a painful expression, rubbing my leg – I hadn't missed that shit. "It just gave me an idea for you," she continued, skimming through random cards as if she hadn't just abused me seconds before.

After much too long of me waiting like an idiot in the card aisle, Alice finally found whatever the hell she was looking for and made her way to the register. After paying for the card, she stuffed it in her purse and walked out the store and across the street to the MUNI station. As we sat on a bench at the West Portal station, I stared at her expectantly.

"What?" she asked, finally.

"Are you seriously not going to tell me what the hell that was all about?"

"Not yet," she replied. "What's the point? You're not doing it right now."

"Will you at least tell me where we're going, then?" I questioned with a sigh.

"The Pier, of course."

"Of course," I mocked with a smile. "I'm still not going to that fucking fairy store, Alice."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "I'll get you back in there one of these days."

*

Later that night I sat at my desk, chewing on my pen as I stared down at the card Alice had purchased. She'd finally told me the purpose of the card when we parted ways this afternoon.

"I want you to write down everything you told me you like about her and then some. Put some real thought into it. You don't have to finish it in one night, but when you do finish it, give it to her. She'll be putty in your hands, even if she doesn't want to admit it," she'd said.

I was counting on her being right.

Unfortunately, I was having an issue figuring out what the hell to write. I didn't want to just make a list of shit I liked about her – it'd seem too forced, not to mention lame as hell. But I also didn't want to gush; that would be even worse. I needed to find middle ground. Why was that always so fucking hard to find?

I sighed heavily and tossed my pen on the desk, pushing the card away. I sure as hell wouldn't be productive if I was over-thinking it. I opened my lap top and waited for it to come out of stand-by before opening up the web browser. I checked my email, finally – literally, I checked it _maybe_ once a month – and skimmed through it.

"Spam, spam, spam," I muttered to myself. "Spam, spam, spa… – wait, what's this?"

I'd signed up for notifications from The Warfield about upcoming concerts a while back, though I couldn't remember why since, again, I rarely checked my e-mail. There was an e-mail from them, sent about two weeks prior, listing all the bands that were doing shows within the month. I scanned the list quickly and shrugged, moving the mouse to 'x' out of the e-mail, but something made me look over at the list again. How I had missed 'Taking Back Sunday' being on the list was a mystery to me, but just the same, I saw that they were doing a show on April 18th, and an idea suddenly came to mind.

I checked the calendar on my computer and cursed under my breath; the show was in exactly eight days, meaning it was probably sold out. I decided to check Ticketmaster anyway – it couldn't hurt – and grinned when I saw that it _wasn't_ sold out after all. Before going through with the plan, I fished my phone out of my pocket and hit speed dial number four.

"What's up, foolio?" she answered after a few rings.

"Charming," I replied, smiling. "What are you doing next Friday night?"

"Mm...nothing that I'm aware of, why?"

"Well, now you have something to do, so mark your calendar," I replied.

"Mind telling me what, exactly, it is that I'm doing?" she asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," I retorted. "You'll figure it out next Friday. I'm serious, though. Don't make any plans; this is a one-night-only thing."

"Intriguing," she said. "You are aware that I hate surprises, right?"

"You are aware that I don't really care, right?" I teased. "Don't worry, you'll love it."

"I'd love it even more if I knew what it was."

"I'm not that easy to break, Bella. You'll just have to wait."

"Fine. Next Friday night, I'm all yours. You just better hope I _do_ love it, otherwise your ass is grass."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, my dear," I said with a grin.

We chatted for a few minutes more before saying good night and hanging up the phone. I felt like a real asshat for replaying her saying, "Next Friday night, I'm all yours," in my mind, but I couldn't think of anything else. All I could hope was that my plan really _would_ get me one step closer to her being mine - in every sense of the word rather than just occupying one night.

* * *

_-R-_

I'd been sitting on my couch, heavily involved in one of those stupid Japanese Soap Operas Bella had gotten me hooked on, when my cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" I answered distractedly, never taking my eyes off the television screen.

"!"

I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen with a confused expression. "Come again? Slower this time, please," I said.

"I have a date tomorrow and I need your help," Bella repeated. I froze; a date? Had Edward actually succeeded and done enough damage control to get her to agree to go out with him?

Feeling mildly impressed by his technique but not wanting to make it known that I had any involvement whatsoever, I asked excitedly, "A date? With who?"

"Jace! He just called and asked me out to dinner tomorrow night. I don't usually suck at picking clothes out for this kind of stuff, at least for other people, but I'm having issues figuring out what to wear so I was hoping you—"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. Who the fuck is Jace?" I half-yelled.

"Why are you yelling?" she asked hesitantly.

"Uh...sorry, my...ears are plugged up. Allergies, you know," I lied. "Who is this person you speak of?" I demanded.

"Jace. I told you about him! You know, the guy from the plane ride to Seattle?"

Oh, God damn it. I'd completely forgotten about that airplane guy. Why the hell would I remember? I wasn't there when he barged his way into Bella's life, and she certainly hadn't brought him up since she was in Forks. Until now, at least.

"Oh, right. Yeah."

"Thanks for the enthusiasm," she said sarcastically.

I gave my phone a dirty look. I hadn't busted my nuts to aid in getting rid of the lab rat so Bella could date some other moron – it barely mattered to me that I didn't know this Jace character; he was a moron because I said so. It occurred to me at that moment that it may have been slightly ridiculous for me to be annoyed with the fact that she wasn't dating the person I wanted her to date. I quickly disregarded that thought, however, by reasoning that, for one, it wasn't just me who wanted her and Edward to happen; and secondly...I was just right. Plain and simple.

"I'm jumping in a fit of joy," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "No, but really, you know I'd love to help," - I scoffed internally - "but I can't. Em and I are going to Redwood City for a show after I get out of school tomorrow."

Well it wasn't a complete stretch of the truth. We were going to Redwood City after I got out of school...just not until about four hours later.

"Oh. Damn," she replied, and I could tell she was trying to mask her disappointment. I felt a slight pang of guilt.

I was torn. On the one hand, I didn't want any part in creating the slightest bit of enjoyment on this idiot's behalf. My expertise was, and had been from the start, strictly for Edward's benefit. (Yes, even when I threw the book at his head. _Especially_ that...although it did bring me great joy to do so.) It wasn't exactly fair to help Bella out with this dude when I did everything in my power to prevent Edward from having a go with another girl. However, Bella was my best friend, and that kind of trumped any other reasoning I had to not help her out. Plus, he clearly didn't mind her hobo look if he'd already asked her out. It was more for her benefit than his in the end.

I cursed under my breath, and then heaved a reluctant sigh. "I guess I can come by right now and help you pick something out, if you want," I muttered.

She hurriedly thanked me before hanging up. I grabbed my purse and keys, then trudged my way out to my car with a scowl on my face.

This was unacceptable.

*

I said as much to Alice on the phone that night after I returned home.

"This isn't good," she said solemnly.

"Well no shit, it isn't good. Shouldn't you have seen this happening or something?" I snapped.

"My sincere apologies for not keeping an eye on Bella's every waking moment," she responded with just as much attitude.

"Touché. Sorry." I sighed. "What the hell do we do now?"

It was silent for a moment. "I hate to say this," she started, "but I think it's time we stop interfering. We have to let them happen on their terms, you know?"

"Well they need to get their shit together already," I grumbled. "At this point I can't help but wonder if it ever will happen."

"It will. I've seen it. It _will_," she repeated, with slightly less conviction. Alice had been absolutely sure of all of her visions up to this point. The fact that their actions were causing her to doubt herself on this was not a good sign.

What a bunch of assholes.

* * *

_-B-_

I'd been a nervous wreck all day long, but the closer it got to five o'clock, the more anxious I became.

Jace had made reservations for six o'clock at Trattoria – a quaint Italian restaurant in North Beach. That was the only thing that was solid; whatever we did after that was up in the air, assuming dinner went well. I couldn't see why it _wouldn't_, though.

Rose had done a good job of calming me down last night when she came over. I was stressing out because I didn't want to over-do it, but I didn't want to be too casual, either. In typical Rosalie fashion, she pushed me onto the bed by my shoulders and told me to "chill the fuck out. It's a date, not your wedding."

We finally decided on a pair of tight, dark-wash jeans, and a dark blue, long-sleeve empire waist tunic. The shoes, of course, were the main issue, but in the end we were able to compromise – black, short-heeled, pointed-toe pumps. It still seemed a little too casual to me, but she assured me that as long as I had classy looking make-up and didn't just throw my hair up like I always did, it'd be perfect date wear. I trusted her judgment on the subject more than I did my own, so I agreed.

After getting ready, I felt rather confident in my appearance. I briefly wondered if I was trying too hard, but then I figured that was sort of the point of getting dressed up for a date – to make a good impression. So instead, I went back to worrying myself into a nervous frenzy as I sat on the couch, watching the clock on the cable box.

I'd been so distracted by my thoughts that when the doorbell finally sounded, I almost didn't hear it. I jumped up when I realized that it had, in fact, gone off, and all but ran to the door. Taking a deep breath, I flipped the deadbolt and slowly opened it. Jace turned his gaze from the bouquet of flowers in hand to me, and that perfectly dimpled smile appeared on his face.

"Hey," he said, running his eyes up and down my body, a smile still plastered on his face. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I replied softly, biting the inside of my cheek. "So do you. Handsome, I mean," I corrected myself quickly, shaking my head. He was wearing jeans as well, with a white, untucked dress shirt, covered by a blue sweater vest and an open, black blazer.

"Well thank you," he said with a chuckle. "These are for you," he added, holding out to arrangement of flowers. "I didn't know what you liked, so I got a bit of everything."

"They're beautiful," I said appreciatively. "Come on in, I'll find something to put these in real quick."

I didn't actually know if I _had_ anything to put them in. Flowers weren't really my thing. It's not that I didn't like them – I could appreciate their beauty – it just wasn't something I'd been accustomed to getting, so it was a little awkward for it to happen now. I still thought the gesture was cute, though.

Angela had a vase stashed in one of the cabinets, thankfully, and after filling it with a reasonable amount of water, I unwrapped the flowers and arranged them.

"Okay," I said, walking into the living room to find Jace sitting on the couch. "I'm ready." I shrugged on a jacket and grabbed my purse on my way out the door, being led out to Jace's car with his hand gently on the small of my back. In true gentleman fashion, he opened and closed the car door for me before making his way to the driver's seat and starting the engine.

Conversation ran fairly smooth on the drive to the restaurant. There were a few lulls here and there, but nothing awkward. We joked that we'd probably miss our reservation by an hour with the lack of parking at all times in the city. After almost half an hour of driving around in circles and laughing harder each time we drove around and found nothing, he decided to give in and park in a nearby garage.

Dinner was nice. The atmosphere was great for a date and the food was pretty good, too. We spent the entirety of it getting to know one another better. I learned that he had two younger siblings – a brother and a sister – that he missed terribly, and that his parents were still happily married. I also learned that his favorite band was Our Lady Peace – of course his favorite band would be Canadian – and his favorite color was orange. He seemed genuinely interested in everything I said, as well, and as the night wore on I became more and more comfortable around him.

After dinner we decided to head up to Ghirardelli Square. We wandered around the shops for a bit before stopping at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Caffé for dessert. By the time either of us bothered to check the time – the only reason we even bothered was because the staff started their nightly clean-up - it was already past nine.

"I guess we should head back," he said, finally. I nodded my head in agreement, albeit reluctantly, and lead the way back out to the street. As we walked along the still-busy sidewalk, he grabbed my hand, as if it were the most natural thing to do. I stared at our intertwined fingers with a small smile on my face.

"Is this okay?" he asked, lifting our hands slightly.

"Yeah," I replied shyly, squeezing his hand in reassurance. We came to a halt at a stoplight, waiting for the 'WALK' signal to appear. The tell-tale beeping started, and we hurried along the crosswalk to the other side of the street. I turned and started walking toward the direction of Jace's car, but was almost immediately pulled backward. He spun me around quickly, our bodies touching as one of his arms snaked around my waist.

My heart sped when I felt his hand cup my cheek, his thumb stroking it softly; I knew what was coming. Slowly, with a half-smile, he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. He pulled away for a few moments, centimeters from my lips. I assumed he was gauging my reaction. When I didn't pull back, he breathed out a laugh and kissed me again, more firmly.

It was an ideal first kiss: short, extremely sweet, and he didn't shove his tongue down my throat.

_So why do I feel so underwhelmed__?_

When he pulled away that time, I kept my eyes closed for a few moments before meeting his gaze. I couldn't help but smile up at him once I saw the gleam in his eye. I pushed the thoughts and questions as far back in my mind as I possibly could and instead focused on the wonderful guy I was having a great date with.

*

I lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. Staring up at my ceiling was proving to be highly uninteresting, but I didn't feel like getting out of bed either, so surfing the web was out of the question. I grabbed my phone off my nightstand and sent a text message to Jake, asking if he was asleep. A few minutes later, my phone began playing his assigned ring tone.

"Hey," I greeted, a smile on my face.

"Hey," he replied sleepily.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah," he said through a yawn, "but s'okay. What's up babycakes?"

"I can't sleep," I sighed.

"What's on your mind?" he questioned.

"Everything. Nothing. I don't know."

"Mind elaborating a bit, Bells?" he asked with chuckle.

"I went on a date tonight," I said, sighing again.

"A date?" he asked, sounding slightly surprised. I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling somewhat insulted. "With who?"

"Yes, a _date_," I huffed. "With Jace."

"Who's Jace?"

"The guy I sat next to on the airplane to Seattle," I replied, rolling my eyes. Jesus, didn't anybody listen? I was getting tired of having to remind people who he was.

"Oh. Okay."

What the hell was with the underwhelmed responses, too?

"So what's wrong, then?" he continued. "Did it not go well?"

"No, that's not it. It went really well."

"Then what's the deal?"

"I just...I like him, I really do. And when we kissed, it was nice; it felt nice. I was just waiting for that...spark, you know? That crazy eruption of butterflies, and it never happened. I don't know. It just felt like something was...missing."

"Hm."

I waited for him to elaborate but was met with silence.

"That's it? Seriously?" I asked incredulously.

"I don't know what to tell you, Bells," he sighed. "Have you felt that with anybody else?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and pursed my lips at that question. Of course I had, and he knew it. I'd told him all about..._that; that, _which I was trying _not_ to remember at that moment.

"You know the answer to that," I grumbled.

"Yeah, I do. And so do you. So what's the problem?"

"I don't know," I replied, aggravated. "I'm confused. I really do like him. I mean...the sparks could come at some point, right? It doesn't _have_ to be during the first kiss..."

"If you say so."

"You really suck at this, Jake."

"I'm a guy, what do you expect?" he retorted. "Have you told him?"

"Have I told who, what?"

"Have you told Edward you went on a date with this dude?"

"No," I said, "why would I?"

"Why _wouldn't_ you?" he countered.

"I don't know," I muttered.

"Yes you do."

"Suck my dick. You're being a pain in my ass right now."

"That's my job," he replied, yawning.

I chuckled. "Go back to sleep. I love you, though God only knows why."

"It's because of my long piece of man mea—"

"GOODNIGHT, JACOB!" I shouted before hanging up on him as he laughed loudly on the other end of the phone.

I put my phone back on the nightstand and snuggled further into bed, an amused smirk on my face. He was such an asshole, and I loved him dearly for it.

~º~º~

The next week flew by. Jace and I had met up almost every day, for coffee or lunch or whatever we felt like doing. The kissing was still great; it felt so natural – but there were still no sparks. I hated beyond explanation that every time we kissed, I inadvertently thought of Edward but I couldn't do anything about that except try to push it as far back in my mind as I could and focus on Jace.

Friday came back around, and I wondered if my unknown plans with Edward were still happening. Things had been a little awkward between us all week long. I wasn't sure if it was my doing or not – I figured it most likely was – but I didn't like it. I'd been planning on calling him after I got off work to see what was happening tonight, but he barged into the tutoring center all smiles, asking if I was excited about my "surprise" tonight and joking around, so I left it alone.

He only stayed for about ten minutes, informing that he just came by to tell me that I needed to be ready by 6:45 that night. With a smug grin, he winked at me before exiting the room.

Sneaky bastard.

Since I didn't get off work until five, and it took me about ten minutes just to get home, I had to rush in order to get ready in time. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if I hadn't been in desperate need of a shower. Leave it to Edward to demand I be ready to go in such a short amount of time when he still refused to tell me where the hell I was going.

Just as I finished tying my shoes my phone rang. I spotted Edward's Volvo out my bedroom window as I grabbed my phone, and I answered with a quick "I'll be right out" before hanging up, grabbing my wallet and keys, and heading outside with a hurried goodbye to Angela.

I got into the car and buckled up as Edward turned the car around and started toward the street. Before I could even ask, he said, "I'm not telling you anything so don't bother."

"You suck," I huffed, smacking his arm. He laughed but kept his mouth shut about our destination.

"Are you excited yet?" he asked.

"No," I lied. Truthfully, as much as I hated surprises, I couldn't help but be excited as the revealing moment neared.

"You're a crappy liar, but its okay. I'll crack you," he mused.

"Uh huh."

As we drove along the freeway, I attempted to eliminate as many possible destinations as I could think of by means of the exits we passed. Unfortunately that didn't do much good, as there were so many places we could still be going given the merging onto two more freeways, so I gave up about ten minutes into the drive. When we neared the 7th street exit, Edward instructed me to close my eyes.

"I don't think so," I replied.

"If you don't, I'll turn the car around and you'll never know what the surprise is," he threatened as he slowed to a stop at the light.

"You're bluffing and you suck at it," I stated.

"Oh, really?" he challenged, turning to look over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I asked hesitantly. He turned to look over his shoulder one more time, then immediately turned the steering wheel hard-left.

"What are you - okay, OKAY! I'll close them!" I shouted, covering my eyes with my hands.

"Good girl," he replied, and I felt a pat on my thigh.

"God, you're an asshole. Crazy ass mother fu—"

"I can still turn around, Bella."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, folding my arms across my chest with my eyes closed tightly.

After fifteen minutes of me heaving impatient sighs and him telling me to stop non-verbally complaining, the car came to a stop and Edward cut the engine.

"Can I open my eyes now?" I asked.

"Nope," he replied, releasing my seat belt. "Stay right there."

I pursed my lips in irritation and waited, tapping my feet on the floor as I heard his door open and close. A few seconds later my door opened, and I felt my legs being grabbed.

"Hey, what the hell?" I exclaimed, opening my eyes. He immediately let go of my legs and pressed his hands against my eyes.

"Keep them _closed_, Bella! Jesus wept."

"How the hell am I supposed to get around?" I demanded, closing my eyes once again as my feet were placed on the ground. He grabbed my hands and told me to duck my head before pulling me out of the car and closing the door behind me.

"Bella, do you trust me?" he asked, his hands on my shoulders.

"Obviously," I scoffed.

"Then shut up and go with it, alright?" he said, chuckling softly. "It's only for a few more minutes, I promise."

"Alright," I agreed with a sigh.

"I'm going to bend down. Put your hands on my shoulders then get on my back, I'm carrying you."

I did as he asked, yelping slightly and tightening my grip across his chest as I felt myself being lifted off the ground. Once he started moving I relaxed a bit.

"Are your eyes closed?" he asked.

"Yes sir," I replied. "Promise."

We were both silent, me enjoying the bay breeze and the fact that I wasn't blindly being led into city traffic on foot. The longer we walked, the more curious I became. The sound of excited chatter was getting closer and louder. Just as I was about to ask Edward what was going on, I felt myself being set down.

"Am I allowed to open my eyes now?" I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice this time.

"Yes, Bella. You can open your eyes now."

I opened my eyes to find that we were standing behind a long line of people. I looked around in confusion, trying to figure out where the hell I was. Before I could ask, he told me to go to the front of the line and read the sign. I glanced at him cautiously before making my way to the front, where a large, slightly protruding sign was placed. I scanned the lettering with furrowed eyebrows, but when I finally realized what it meant, my eyes widened and I whirled around, bursting into a run back to Edward.

"Oh, my God, we're seeing Taking Back Sunday?!" I all but screeched as I neared him, before launching myself at him. His laughter filled my ears as he stumbled backwards, his arms wrapping tightly around me.

"Excited _now_?" he teased.

"Yes, yes, yes! Thank you so much! Oh, my God, I can't believe you did this!" I exclaimed, kissing his cheek repeatedly.

"You're welcome," he replied, kissing my temple. I realized I'd probably made a huge scene and I was probably getting really weird stares, but I didn't give a shit. I was excited and it was the only way I could think of showing my appreciation to him for this.

It wasn't too long before the line started moving forward. I grasped his hand in mine and fidgeted excitedly. I wanted to ask him why; what possessed him to do this for me, and go to such great lengths to make it a surprise. As we made it up to the door and he handed security the tickets to scan, I told myself there would be time for questions later. For now, I was going to enjoy this experience with him for all it was worth.

* * *

_-E-_

I'd expected her to be happy when she found out the surprise, but her reaction completely caught me off guard. I'd never seen her so elated, and I couldn't help the smile that found its way on my face every time I looked over at her, or felt her squeeze my hand excitedly every so often as we stood, waiting for the first opening act. _I'd_ put that smile on her face.

Even though neither of us could tell you who the opening bands were, it didn't deter her enthusiasm. Every song that was played meant it was that much closer to the main act, which she reminded me of quite frequently.

Finally the lights went down and the crowd erupted into screams. I always loved the atmosphere of bigger shows. Everybody fed off everyone else's energy and it made the experience that much more enjoyable. This time, though, I only cared about one person.

I paid attention to the stage well enough, singing along with each song that was played and laughing in agreement with Bella when she said she feared for Adam Lazzara's head, what with the way he threw his microphone around. I was more focused on her, though. I watched her passionately sing along with a huge smile on her face, catching her eye every time she beamed up at me.

The concert ended all too soon, and at around 11:30 we found ourselves filing out of the venue and into the chilly night. Bella looped her arm through mine as I shoved my hands in my pockets, and we walked the few minutes to the parking garage in comfortable silence. I fished the keys out of my pocket as we neared the car, pressing the button to unlock the doors.

"Hey, Edward."

"Yeah?" I answered, turning to look at her.

"Why'd you do this for me?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

I folded my arms on the roof of the car, staring at her in contemplation. Finally, I shrugged and replied, "Because I knew it would make you happy."

She smiled brightly at me, and at that moment I knew that I would do anything in the world if it meant putting that smile on her face. Right then, I realized that I was falling for Bella Swan, and falling hard.

*

Back in my room later that night, I shut down my lap top, getting ready to settle into bed for the night. As I reached up to turn off my lamp, I spotted Bella's card, still untouched from the previous week. I paused, a tired smile forming on my lips, and grabbed it before sitting back down. Uncapping a pen, I opened the card and immediately began scribbling every thought that came to mind.

* * *

**End Notes: **I hope to make the next update within the next few weeks. I currently have about 5 pages of the next chapter written, but I think it may be a rather long one, so who knows when I'll finish. Check my twitter for updates on where I'm at with the chapter. Review! xx


	30. Chapter 28: HelloGoodbye

**Chapter Notes: **Well, this is unheard of. Two updates...within a MONTH. Watch out. Haha. Thanks to Hannah for going through this and correcting any mistakes she saw, and also for always giving me her opinions on everything I write. I love you. :) And thank you to all my readers and reviewers; I adore you all.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. SMeyer owns everything. The end.

_

* * *

-B-_

"Are you okay?"

I blinked twice, then turned my gaze straight ahead of me, somewhat dazed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" I replied.

"Well, you've been staring out the window, not blinking, for at least five minutes," Jace said, chuckling uncomfortably. "Something on your mind?"

Yes. But I couldn't exactly tell him what.

"I certainly hope so," I joked, "otherwise I'd have a serious problem."

That seemed to lighten the mood and distract him from the issue at hand, thankfully. We were at Bubba Gump's for lunch, which wasn't exactly doing much to take my mind off things given who I'd been here with last. Once again, though, I forced those thoughts to the back of my mind and tried to focus on Jace. Why was I constantly having to force myself to concentrate on him?

_You know why._

Oh, shut up, inner-voice.

"So," he started, biting into a piece of cheesy bread, "what'd you do last night?"

"I went to a TBS show with Edward," I replied, unable to keep the shit-eating grin off my face.

"TBS?" he questioned.

"Taking Back Sunday," I elaborated.

"Ah. Never heard of them," he shrugged. I raised my eyebrows at that admission, but brushed it off. It wasn't like they were on some U2 level, where everybody would know who they were. "I take it the show was good, then?"

"Amazing," I said wistfully. "Edward went to all sorts of trouble to keep it a secret so that I'd be surprised. It was really sw—" I paused, noticing the look on Jace's face. "It was cool," I finished finally, attempting to sound nonchalant.

I stared at him as he chewed, a contemplative look on his face. "You talk about this Edward guy a lot."

"Yeah...well, he's a good friend of mine. I talk about all my friends," I replied, somewhat defensively.

"When am I going to meet these friends?"

I imagine at that moment I looked rather like a deer caught in headlights. I hadn't even thought about that – why, I didn't know. It just hadn't entered my mind that he'd want to meet them. It seemed kind of serious for something that had just started; it was like meeting the family, in a sense.

"Well, uh...when did you want to?" I asked.

"What about tomorrow night? We could go to Chevy's or something for dinner," he said cheerfully. "I'll gather up some of my friends, too."

"O...kay. I'll bring it up to them," I agreed, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Thankfully, our meals came just then, which provided the perfect distraction. I stuffed my mouth full of food immediately so I wouldn't have to talk. I didn't know why the idea of having all my friends together in a restaurant to meet the guy I was...dating, I guess...made me feel so unsettled and awkward. It was a normal enough request, right?

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked.

"I dunno," I shrugged. "Nothing in particular. You?"

"I need to drop by Amoeba to look for something. After that, maybe we can just go down Haight Street?" he said.

"That's fine," I agreed, shoving a french fry in my mouth. Then I realized where he'd said he needed to go, and I froze mid-chew. Amoeba. As in Edward's place of employment. I was almost certain he'd be at work right now; it was almost one o'clock on a Saturday. It wasn't that I didn't want to see him. I just hadn't exactly gotten around to telling him that I'd been seeing Jace on a regular basis...or at all, if we were getting technical. Somehow, I didn't think Edward would respond too well to seeing us show up at his place of employment...you know, given his prior bias toward Jace and all.

I couldn't very well insist on him going somewhere else without explaining why...and if I told the truth in said explanation, that would bring up even _more_ questions as to why I even cared, and I didn't feel like dealing with it. So instead, I kept my thoughts to myself and attempted to remain calm throughout the rest of lunch.

Unfortunately, the closer we got to Amoeba, the more rigid I became. So naturally, by the time we walked through the doors of the store, I looked like I was about to have a seizure.

"Are you okay?" Jace asked in concern after I handed my bag to one of the employees.

"I'm fine," I said hurriedly, crossing my arms over my chest. "I just suddenly don't feel too well."

"What's wrong?"

_Oh, nothing. Just that I'm pretty in the next few minutes I'm going to be in the middle of a very awkward and tense confrontation between my past and current fling._

Yeah, right.

"Lunch isn't sitting well with my stomach," I lied.

"Well, I promise I'll be quick, then I'll take you home," he replied, rubbing my back. I smiled tightly but didn't reply, instead darting my eyes around the store in search of bronze hair. Like I'd really see him in this big ass store, anyway.

After about ten minutes and no sign of Edward, I relaxed a bit. I didn't want to push my luck, though, and attempted to hurry Jace to the register after he found the CD's he wanted.

So of course, almost the minute we started towards the front, Edward rounded the corner. I attempted to whirl around – if I ran fast enough, maybe I could escape – but I somehow forgot Jace was in back of me, and I ran right into his chest, stumbling back a bit.

"What the – are you okay, Bella?" Jace asked, steadying me with his hands on my shoulders.

_Kill me now._

"Bella," I heard from behind me in Edward's smooth voice. He...did not sound too happy to see me.

I cursed under my breath and turned around slowly. "Hey..." I mumbled.

Awkward silence.

I cleared my throat and looked anywhere _but_ him before saying, "Uh...Jace, this is Edward. Edward, Jace."

"Oh," Jace said, surprised. "What a coincidence, I was just asking her when I'd get to meet you since she talks about you so much."

"Does she, now?" Edward replied in a bored tone.

"You didn't mention that he worked here," Jace added, turning to look at me.

"Yeah, well...seems Bella conveniently forgets to mention a lot of things," Edward said. I glanced at him timidly to find him staring at me with a sarcastic smile on his lips.

Fuck my life.

* * *

_-E-_

I wanted to punch him in the mouth. Even though I was aware it was hardly his fault – he obviously had no idea I worked here – I couldn't very well punch Bella in the face. I needed to direct my anger somewhere, and his face sounded like the perfect option to me.

He kept trying to talk to me but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too focused on Bella, who was uncomfortably fidgeting in place and looking anywhere but at me.

"...about dinner," was all I caught when I snapped back into reality. _He_ looked over at Bella and nudged her slightly with his elbow. She looked up at him, startled, with furrowed eyebrows.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Dinner..." he trailed off. "Nevermind. Look," he said, turning to me, "I thought it'd be cool if Bella and I got some of our friends together for dinner tomorrow night. You in?"

Was this asshole serious? What the hell was wrong with him, asking me to sit through an entire meal with the two of them? I had to (begrudgingly) take into consideration that, knowing Bella, he had absolutely no idea what had gone on with us in the past. I couldn't very well be pissed at him for not seeing that he had stepped on my turf. It was clear Bella hadn't told him much of anything in regards to us.

Ugh.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess that's alright. Hey, mind if I bring someone, though?" I asked.

Bella's eyes shot up and met mine, silently questioning me. I simply raised an eyebrow at her, a smug smirk on my lips. She'd find out tomorrow that it was only Alice – there was no way I was sitting through that bullshit without her – but for now, I was content with letting her think I had the audacity to bring an actual date.

"Yeah, sure. The more the merrier," he replied with a smile. Ugh, why was he so fucking _happy?_ It was nauseating.

"Great," I said with mock enthusiasm. "Can't wait."

Jace told Bella he'd meet her at the register, said goodbye to me, then walked off – after kissing her temple. Asshole. Bella didn't move, still looking extremely uncomfortable. I stared blankly at her, leaning against one of the shelves, and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Group dinner, huh? Must be _serious_," I said dryly. She sighed heavily and finally looked at me for more than a split second.

"I was going to tell you, but..." she trailed off.

"But what?" I prodded. "You somehow forgot that you've been _dating_ him? How long?" I demanded.

"I don't know. A couple of weeks," she muttered.

"Brilliant." I chuckled darkly. "Does _anybody_ know about this? Or did you just decide that I was the only one who didn't need to know?"

"Nobody _decided_ anything," she snapped. "What exactly was I supposed to say, Edward?"

"Gee, _I don't know_, Bella...how about, 'Hey, guess what? I've been _dating someone_ for weeks'!" I half-yelled.

"Why are you so pissed about this anyway?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Give me a fucking break," I said lowly. "You know exactly why. And if you don't, it'd be a complete waste of time to explain it to you."

I rubbed my hands over my face, forcing myself to breathe in and out slowly and deeply. I was at work; I couldn't make a scene.

"I have to get back to work. You should probably get back to him before – God forbid – he starts asking things. I'll see you at the _family dinner_ tomorrow night."

She didn't stop me from walking away, and even though I knew she was probably following close behind, as I was walking toward the front of the store, I didn't look back. Ashlyn gave me a weird look as I marched up the ramp – she was at the bag check station.

"I'm going on break," I barked, then stormed out the door and turned to the left. For the first time, none of the homeless people gathered around the McDonald's at the end of the block asked me for money as I made my way toward the entrance. With too much force for a fairly weightless glass door, I flung it open and walked inside.

I needed a fucking cheeseburger.

•

I was sprawled out on Alice's bed, attempting to rid myself of the day's events by burying my face in her comforter and groaning every so often. After work, I'd decided to go to her dorm since it was close by, rather than going home and calling her.

"Are you done yet?" she asked with a sigh. "You sound like a cat in heat."

I lifted my head enough to retort with "Bite me" intelligibly, then buried my face once again.

"No, it's okay," she replied airily. "Edward, honestly, I don't even know why you agreed to go to this thing."

"I was cornered!" I complained, rolling over onto my back. "What was I supposed to say? 'Let me check my calendar and get back to you'? That's gay."

"No, you should have said you already had plans, smartass," she prompted. "It's not like this was a week-in-advance request; it's _tomorrow_. That's perfectly believable."

"Well obviously, Alice, I'm just an idiot thinker under pressure, okay? The thought didn't even cross my mind." I sighed heavily. "It's too late now. I'm stuck going, which means you're stuck going, too."

"I don't recall ever agreeing to go with you." I rolled my head to the side and gave her a knowing look. She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Exactly," I said smugly.

"Well I don't know what purpose I'm going to serve," she continued, "but let's set some ground rules. You agreed to go to this thing, so you can't be an asshole. It's not _his_ fault any of this is going on."

"I know, I know," I grumbled. "It's all my fault for messing up in the first place, he probably doesn't know anything, et cetera, et cetera. I've been repeating that in my head every time I get the urge to punch his face in."

"Well as long as you know," she replied. "Do you even know where this grand meeting is happening?"

"Yeah," I sighed, sitting up and turning to face her. "She text messaged me a few hours ago and said, 'Chevy's. 6 PM.'"

"I _hate_ Chevy's," Alice complained. "You're lucky I love you enough to suffer through it."

"You like the tortillas," I reminded her, then added jokingly, "I'll buy you a couple dozen for your troubles."

She laughed. "Fair trade. But seriously, Eddie, at least make an effort to get to know him. Who knows, you guys may become friends."

I gave her a skeptical look. "I hate when people say that. In what universe would a person ever become friends with their competition? It's just not practical or realistic."

"I'm just trying to humor you," she shrugged.

"I appreciate the gesture," I said with a smirk. "I'll be civil to him, okay, _Mom_?"

She flipped me off then turned to her lap top, moving the track pad to bring it out of stand-by. "I want Seniores."

"Mmm, that sounds good. And cheesy garlic bread." I hummed in contentment, my mouth watering at the thought. Seniores was, hands down, the best pizza place I'd ever frequented. Their pizza was delicious, and best of all, not only were the pizza's overly generous in size, they were reasonably priced.

"I'll call in the order," she stated, holding the phone to her ear – we both had the number on speed dial; that was how often we got Seniores. "You go pick it up."

I nodded and stood up, stretching and scratching my stomach as she ordered our usual - Hawaiian, extra cheese, and, of course, the cheesy garlic bread – then headed out. I stopped at the store to grab some soda first, then picked up the pizza before going back to Alice's dorm. Her roommate was gone for the night, so we spent the rest of the evening on the couch, stuffing our faces with amazing pizza, and laughing obnoxiously loud at South Park and Superbad.

~º~º~

While Alice had done a great job of getting my mind off the impending dinner (subtle as her attempts may have been), nothing was working at the moment. Now that the hell feast was almost here, I kept looking at the clock and groaning, all the while trying to think of some way I could get out of going.

I figured I could do one of three things: 1. I could fake my death – you couldn't very well attend a dinner when you were dead, right? - but that posed a problem, seeing as how I'd end up seeing Bella tomorrow. I'd either have to convince her that I was a very stupid ghost that didn't know he was dead, or that I'd somehow magically resurrected. Neither of those sounded very plausible. 2. I could rip an old t-shirt up and grab a pair of pants from the bottom of my laundry basket – I hadn't done laundry in over a week, so they were bound to smell like ass – then proceed to roll around in dirt for a good five minutes or so. Then, I'd make a pit stop at a dog park and purposely step in a turd. Chevy's wasn't exactly upscale, but I was fairly certain they had a dress code of sorts; one that I most certainly wouldn't meet in that get-up. Plus, who would serve someone that smelled like dog shit? Not me. 3. I could claim I somehow got into a car accident while driving the whopping mile and a half to the restaurant. This seemed like the best option, as I could easily hide my car and claim I got out unscathed, with the exception of whiplash. That might score some sympathy points, too.

With my decision made, I relaxed on my bed with my ankles crossed, a smug smile on my face as I waited an acceptable amount of time to text Bella of this fictional accident. I was confident that my plan would work...that is, until the minor complication I hadn't taken into consideration stormed into my room with a knowing and disapproving look on her face.

"Aw, come _on_," I groaned. "I mean, seriously?"

"It's not happening, Edward. We discussed this last night. You made your bed, you lay in it. Stop being such a pansy."

"Bite me," I muttered. "You can't make me go."

"Oh, really, Edward? Really? You're going the petulant child route now?" Alice asked incredulously. "Grow the fuck up."

I glared at her and clenched my jaw. She was really starting to piss me off. I'd asked her to come with me for moral support, not to cut me down at every opportunity. If I wanted that shit I'd have asked Rosalie to come with me, Jesus.

My murderous stare didn't faze her, though. She simply raised her eyebrows, daring me to challenge her, then began rifling through my drawers and armoire.

"Here," she said after a few minutes, tossing articles of clothing at my head. "Get dressed, and hurry up. We need to leave in fifteen minutes."

"But the dinner doesn't even start for half an hour!" I argued.

"The early bird gets the worm. Now shut up and get dressed."

I continued glaring at her back (after peeling the jeans off my face) as she closed my door behind her, but clambered off the bed and began getting dressed, cursing under my breath.

This was some bullshit.

I took as long as I possibly could to get ready, but even after brushing my teeth for what felt like damn near ten minutes, I was walking towards my car with Alice's fist pressed firmly to the middle of my back. Once we started driving, I took the back route so I could go no more than 25 miles per hour without being in anybody else's way. Alice's impatient sighs and mumbles of, "Oh, my God, this is ridiculous," I could handle; shit flying at my window from angry drivers, I could not. Unfortunately, I could only make the mile and a half drive stretch out about eight minutes. Fortunately, there was hardly any parking, so by the time we actually walked into the restaurant, everyone else in the party had been seated, according to the hostess. Not that I knew who everyone else in the party was.

I followed the hostess, with Alice at my side, to a table in the back of the restaurant. The first thing I noticed as we neared was that there were a lot of people. The next thing I noticed was Rosalie, sitting ram-rod straight in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest and a nonplussed look on her face. (I had to disguise my laughter as a sort of snort/cough combo at that.) That discovery led to my feelings of relief as I saw Angela seated next to Rosalie, a polite smile on her face as Jace, who sat across from her and next to Bella, spoke to her. I glanced at Rosalie once more, pursing my lips to hide my smile, and was glad that I wasn't the only person who had little to no desire to be here.

With a nudge from Alice and a nearly-inaudible groan, I said "hey" probably a little too gruffly and pulled out a seat for her next to Rosalie. Angela gave me a smile and a wave, which I returned. I gave a nod to Rosalie as I sat down next to Alice. Bella didn't look at me or say a thing. What a surprise.

Jace was quick to introduce his three friends at the table: Mark, Chris, and Jason. I smiled tightly at them before introducing Alice, who smiled politely and said hello while elbowing me sharply in the ribs. I grunted and cringed, turning to glare at her. She opened her menu and stood it up on the table, shielding her face.

"Be _nice_," she said through gritted teeth.

"I didn't—" I pursed my lips and scrambled to prop my menu up in the same manner. "I didn't even _do_ anything," I hissed. She gave me a pointed look, then turned her attention to the menu. With one last scowl, I did the same. I was seriously starting to question why I'd even wanted Alice to come. I would have been better off bringing Jasper, even if it meant having to pretend he was my gay lover.

The waitress came a few minutes later to take our orders. Unfortunately, that left me no reason _not_ to talk to the assholes on the other side of the table.

"So," Jace started, looking at me as he slung an arm around her chair, "Bella says you were on the flight we met on, too."

Wow. What a _great_ conversation starter that was.

"Mmm. Mmhmm. Yup, that would be correct," I replied, trying not to narrow my eyes at his gesture. "I was seated next to the behemoth. How is Jacob, by the way?" I asked, looking pointedly at Bella.

"He's fine," she replied shortly, before taking a large gulp of water. I stared blankly at her. Was she for real? I was here for her and her stupid boyfriend that she had failed to tell me about for God knew how long, and she couldn't even _look_ at me? If anything, I should have been the one being a dick to her. She had shit seriously twisted.

_Fuck this dinner up its ass._

"How did you guys become friends, anyway?" he asked. "Bella told me you guys didn't get along very well at first."

"Understatement of the century," I snorted. That earned a smirk from Bella from across the table. "She was being her usual, irrational self—"

"And he was being his usual, arrogant self," she cut in jokingly, finally looking at me.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving her off. "Anyway, I decided to be my awesome self and give her another shot, and it turned out that we got along really well."

"Oh, whatever!" she protested, wadding up a paper napkin and throwing it at me. "I went and apologized to your ass – I was the bigger person."

"Rightfully so!" I grinned. "It was all your fault, anyway. If you'd have just _listened_ to me in the first place, none of that ever would have happened."

"Just shut up, Edward," she said through laughter.

Unfortunately, the douche packer next to her decided that would be a good time to lean over and whisper something in her ear, then kiss her cheek.

That wiped the grin right off my face.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. I was trying not to sulk, but it was a little difficult. I felt Alice's hand on my leg and I was fully prepared for her to pinch the shit out of it, but instead, she patted it gently. I looked over at her and she smiled sympathetically at me. At least somebody was aware of my misery.

God, I sounded like such a little bitch.

The food started coming then – thank God – and everyone's attention turned to that. I took that opportunity to study everyone at the table. There wasn't one face that didn't look somewhat uncomfortable – other than Jace and Alice. His friends hadn't said more than a few words here and there, and Angela hadn't said a word. More importantly, neither had Rosalie, which was absolutely unheard of. I continued staring at her, trying not to laugh as she stabbed at her food, looking extremely displeased.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent Rosalie a text under the table.

_**Worst. Dinner. Ever.**_

I set my phone on my thigh then began eating my food. A few moments later it vibrated.

_**I'm about to stab myself in the eye. Either that, or kill someone else. This is torture.**_

I snickered, then looked up quickly to make sure nobody was staring at me like I was a lunatic. However, I was met with a much more unnerving sight. It was one thing to assume Bella and Jace were sucking face; it was another to see it right in front of your face.

Okay, so they weren't necessarily raping each other's mouths. But they still kissed, on the lips, and the sight alone made me lose my appetite.

Suddenly, Rosalie shot out of her seat and excused herself, tossing her napkin on the table roughly. She turned around and walked away, leaving everybody – other than me, Bella, and Alice; we'd witnessed that many times and had learned to not think much of it - at the table, glancing around in confusion.

"I, uh...bathroom," Bella muttered, getting to her feet slowly and starting towards the restrooms. Jace and his friends continued looking at each other, slightly alarmed.

"It happens a lot," Alice said to them with a shrug. "No need to worry." I hummed in agreement and nodded, then looked over at Angela. The poor girl looked miserable. I stood up and slid in to Rosalie's seat, startling Angela.

"I take it you're having about as much fun as I am?" I joked. She smiled and looked down at her plate, pushing her food around with her fork.

"Looks like it," she mumbled. "I should not have come to this, but I felt bad saying no, so..."

"Ah, didn't we all? Seriously, I had this whole scheme planned so that I _wouldn't_ have to come. Obviously, that didn't work out too well."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Clearly."

We fell into comfortable conversation about Ben, school, our plans for the summer, and things of the sort. Out of nowhere, I felt hands on my shoulders and jumped slightly in my seat. I looked over my left shoulder, startled, and found Rosalie looking back at me with a defeated expression. She bent down, right next to my ear, and said, "Do me a favor; box up my food and take it to Emmett." I nodded in agreement, slightly disappointed – and envious – that my ally was ditching this nightmare of a dinner, not at all blaming her. "And...hang in there, okay? She'll figure it out," she added softly. With a brief squeeze to my shoulders, she excused herself to the rest of the table, telling them she had to leave and politely saying it was nice to meet them, before heading to the door and out of sight.

"What was that about?" Alice whispered, leaning toward me.

"I don't know," I murmured with a shrug.

_She'll figure it out..._

I wasn't so sure she would. And I wasn't quite sure I could "hang in there," either.

* * *

_-B-_

This had to be the worst idea ever, in history. Hands down.

I felt so uncomfortable. Granted, it was all my fault. Things with Edward were undoubtedly awkward because of the fiasco the day before at Amoeba. Things with Jace were awkward because he had no idea about anything that happened between me and Edward in the past. I was afraid that something was going to happen to let the cat out of the bag, and that wouldn't be good for anybody.

It wasn't that I was purposely trying to keep that information from Jace... I just wanted to tell him on my own terms. When I felt it was the right time. And now was most definitely _not_ the right time.

I knew I was probably being rude. I wasn't trying to be. I was just paranoid that if I looked at Edward – who was undoubtedly looking at me, I could feel it – everybody would just..._know_. Of course, my tensing up the second Edward walked in with Alice – I should have expected her to be the one he brought, but it honestly hadn't even crossed my mind – was realistically more telling than the two of us _looking_ at each other, but I'd never been one for rational reasoning.

Rosalie hadn't said a word to anybody at the table other than, "Hello," when she came into the restaurant. That kind of pissed me off. She wasn't even trying to get to know him, and from the looks of it, she never would. Angela didn't say much of anything, either, but she was her usual polite self, and she at least didn't look like she'd rather gouge her own eyes out than be sitting at this table.

I could hear the strain in Edward's voice as he tried to remain civil while Jace attempted to engage him in conversation. I was waiting for Edward to make some snide remark every time he answered, but surprisingly, he didn't. Well, until he started talking about how we met. Naturally, I had to interject and set the record straight. As we threw retorts back and forth jokingly, I realized that was the first time I'd relaxed almost the entire day. Then Jace kissed my cheek, and I saw Edward's face fall, which caused the genuine smile on my face to become forced as I turned to look at Jace.

The food came and I, like the majority of the table, I assumed, was grateful. The fact that this was the second meal I'd had with Jace in two days that I was grateful for because of the distraction it provided didn't escape my mind, but I shook the thought off and started eating.

"Well this is going swell," Jace muttered, leaning close to me. I breathed out a laugh and nodded.

"Clearly," I replied. "I'm sorry, I don't know what the deal is."

"Ah, it's okay," he said, cupping the back of my neck. "First meetings are awkward. Maybe it'll go better next time."

_I doubt it_, I thought, but instead I smiled and nodded. He leaned his face toward me and pressed his lips softly against mine. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor startled me.

"Excuse me," Rosalie huffed, throwing her napkin down. I watched her retreating form with my jaw hanging open. What the _fuck_ was her problem? I felt my phone vibrate and fished it out of my pocket, finding a text message.

_**Bathroom. Now.**_

I narrowed my eyes at my screen and clenched my jaw. I didn't want to alert anybody at the table, though, so I forced my face to relax before excusing myself to the restroom. I'd never been so pissed off at Rosalie before in our entire friendship. If she wanted to talk, she was about to get an earful.

I slammed my hand against the bathroom door and shoved it open, storming in. "What the _fuck_ was that, Rosalie?" I demanded, spotting her leaning against the sinks with her back to the mirrors, her arms folded over her chest.

"What is the _matter_ with you, Bella?" she asked, her eyes wide. "I honestly don't know what the hell has gotten into you."

"Are you kidding me right now?" I said, baffled. "This entire dinner you've done nothing but sit there with this massive bitch face, not saying an entire word. You're not even trying!"

"You're damn right I'm not trying!" she said forcefully, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Why? What has he done to make you not try."

"Nothing," she replied.

"Well?" I prodded angrily. "What, then?"

"I just...nothing." She sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing."

"No, come on Rosalie, spit it out," I said heatedly. "You don't ever have a problem with that on a normal basis."

She stared blankly at me for a few moments before she spoke. "I think you're making a mistake with this guy."

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"You're missing what's right in front of you."

"What the hell does that mean? What's right in front of me is _you_, and if that's what you're getting at...I mean, I'm flattered and all, but—"

"Will you stop being a smartass for one second and listen to what I'm trying to tell you?" she snapped. "_Edward_. Edward, Bella. _He_ is what's right in front of you. What are you doing?"

"Edward?" I questioned. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" she retorted.

"Do you _not_ remember what he did?" I all but yelled. "He fucking played me, Rosalie. You threw a book at his head for it, for Christ's sake. And now you're telling me I should _be _with him? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me," she hissed. "I know that he made a mistake. But he's paid for it, and I think he's done plenty to show you that he truly is sorry. He never set out to hurt you; he wasn't 'playing' you. He was fucking confused, just like you are. _Just like you_," she repeated. "You aren't any better than he is."

"What are you talking about? This has _nothing_ to do with—"

"This has _everything_ to do with it, Bella," she said stiffly, cutting me off.

I stared at her with a clenched jaw for a few moments, the air tense. "This is not the same thing. At _all_."

"You're right," she said, nodding slightly. "It's not. There's a huge difference, here. You know how? Because for one thing, Edward was never _dating_ that other girl. I have every ounce of faith that if he had have been, he would have let you know upfront. He wouldn't have been an asshole about it, and he certainly never would have thrown it in your face. It's different because he could admit that he fucked up, and the minute he realized what he felt, nothing else mattered to him. And even still, he's not out there throwing a huge bitch-fit while Jace is all over you. He never _once_ complained about the way you handled what happened, he only tried to fix it. He's out there fucking putting up with this because he knows it's his fault that it came to this. But most of all, it's different because he's not making you pay for what it's doing to him."

We were both breathing like we'd just run a marathon after her speech. I didn't know what to say, how to feel. I was hurt, and pissed off, and confused – really fucking confused. But I didn't know who it was directed to: her or myself.

Rosalie closed her eyes and sighed heavily, looking down.

"I can't support you on this, Bella. Call me a bad friend, tell me I'm taking sides, whatever. Maybe I am. But you're making a huge mistake, and it's not just you that it's affecting. There's an innocent guy out there who really likes you, and you're not being fair to him. Until you can admit what you already know in your heart, I can't be on your side with this."

She looked up at me, and the disappointment etched on her face was almost as bad as anything she'd said to me in the last few minutes. With a nod, she sidestepped me and walked out of the bathroom. I stood there for a few moments before pressing my palms into my eyes, growling in frustration. She really knew how to frustrate the fuck out of me.

I turned around and leaned against the sink, trying to calm down. Once my heart rate slowed, I lifted a hand to my face and looked in the mirror. I still looked slightly flushed, but not too much. I knew I needed to get back out there, though. I'd probably be questioned as it stood. I took a few more moments to compose myself before exhaling heavily and walking back out. As I neared the table, I saw Edward and Alice pushing their chairs up to the table, boxes in each of their hands.

"Are you leaving?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. Edward spun around and met my eyes, then nodded.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "I have a test I need to study for, and this one has a few things she needs to get back to."

"Okay." I looked down and began chewing on the inside of my cheek. His hand came into my line of vision and I felt his fingers nick my chin gently. I half-smiled and turned my gaze upward, looking into his brilliant green eyes. We stared at each other in silence, my gaze just as intense as his. Finally, he stepped closer to me and kissed my temple, placing a hand on the other side of my face gently. My heart sped up all over again and my breathing became labored at the gesture.

He stayed that way for a few beats longer than necessary, but I didn't care. I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm myself down, but it was hardly working.

"I—" I started once he pulled away, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I know," he murmured, smiling softly...almost sadly. "Bye, Bella."

"Bye," I whispered. I stood in place, watching him walk towards the front of the restaurant. My heart ached with every step he took, and I didn't understand why. Then I realized that I was still standing in front of the table my boyfriend and his friends were seated at, staring at another guy as he walked out the door. Everything that had just happened, happened in front of Jace.

Shit.

I slowly turned toward the table, a terrified look on my face, I was sure. His friends were looking at me like I'd lost my mind, but he looked on at me with a blank expression. Suddenly, everything Rosalie said to me came crashing down, and I felt like the worst person in the entire world. Not only had I hurt Edward, but now I had hurt Jace – both completely unintentionally. How did I manage to fuck up so much?

~º~º~

Nine days.

That's how much time had lapsed since the god-awful dinner. That's also how long it'd been since I'd talked to Edward. Sure, he'd shown up to his tutoring sessions, but he was distant; withdrawn. He came in precisely at three, sat down, and politely told me what he was having trouble with. I wanted desperately to ask him what was going on, what I'd done (even though I already knew), but I wouldn't do it during work – not when he was there for help. Unfortunately, any time I tried to talk to him _after_ our session, he hurriedly said he needed to be somewhere and left. He wasn't replying to any of my text messages or calls. I didn't bother showing up at his dorm – I could take a hint. I'd finally just left him alone. He'd come to me when he was ready to talk...at least, I hoped.

After the dinner, I decided I had no choice but to tell Jace about my history with Edward. He wasn't happy about it, especially with what he'd seen when Edward left the restaurant, but being the understanding guy he was, he understood why I hadn't mentioned it and admitted he probably wouldn't have been too receptive of Edward had he known. He didn't question anything about me and Edward; he just let it go. For that, I was extremely grateful. I wouldn't have even known what to say.

Rosalie and I had talked, but things were still tense with us. I'd admitted that she was right in everything she said. She was pissed off because I was still dating Jace.

And I...I was completely lost. I had no idea what I felt, or what I wanted. All I knew was that I needed to talk to Edward, but that wasn't exactly an option at the moment since he wouldn't talk to _me_.

I sighed heavily and turned my head to look at the time on the cable box. 12:04 AM.

Make that _ten_ days since he'd talked to me.

I turned my gaze to the ceiling, absently twisting my phone in my hands as I lay on the couch. I hadn't been sleeping very well lately, either. My mind was a jumbled mess that refused to shut off. Of the three people I talked to when I had issues, two of them were mad at me, and the other – Jake - had his own problems to deal with.

Well, I didn't think of it as a problem, but he did. He'd met a girl named Olivia when he and a few guys went to Seattle over the past weekend. They'd exchanged numbers, but as much as Jake tried to play it off like he was some suave player, he honestly didn't know what the hell to do. He had his ego to take into consideration, and he didn't want to seem overly eager. But at the same time, she was "ridiculously hot," and he didn't "want to miss my shot with her because some other jackass got to her first." I told him to stop being a wimp and go for it; he told me to get my own romantic situation under control before I started dishing out advice.

Jake: 1; Bella: 0.

I was glad that he'd at least found a prospect of someone, though. He didn't date often – not because he couldn't get someone, but because he was content being alone; preferred it, even. He deserved happiness with somebody else, though, more than anybody else I knew, so I was hoping this girl wasn't a complete dipshit and could see what she was getting once he undoubtedly got over himself and contacted her.

My phone vibrated in my hands, bringing me out of my thoughts. I opened the text and my eyes widened.

_**Are you awake?**_

I responded with _**Yes**_ immediately, sitting upright on the couch.

_**Good. I'm down the street**_. _** I need to talk to you.**_

I tossed my phone on the couch and scrambled to stand up. I rushed into my room and slipped on my flip-flops, then all but ran to the front door, leaving it unlocked as I shut it behind me. I hurried through the lobby and out the glass doors, all the way down to the bus stop. I spotted him then, stepping onto the sidewalk, and my heart immediately sped up. I watched him as he walked toward me, then stopped in front of me, his face illuminated by a street light.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," I breathed out, staring up at him. He gave me a half-smile, his eyes scanning my face.

"Let's sit," he said finally, nodding towards the benches. I nodded and followed him, mimicking his position as he straddled the seat.

"So," I started after a few moments of silence. "How have you been?"

He nodded slightly, looking down at the wood. "I've been better, honestly. But I've also been worse, so I can't complain. You?"

"Same, I guess," I murmured, biting the inside of my cheek.

More silence.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" I blurted, then cringed. That wasn't exactly the way I'd been planning to ask.

He sighed heavily, then looked straight into my eyes, his expression unreadable. "Because I didn't know what else to do, Bella."

"About what?" I asked quietly.

"You know what," he replied in the same tone.

I looked down, a pang of guilt hitting me square in the chest.

"I don't really know what to say," I admitted, picking a piece of lint off my pajama pants.

"Then don't say anything," he replied. "Just listen."

I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed. Those words sent fear through my body for some reason, but I simply nodded and looked up at him.

"I..." He shook his head, looking down. "I love you, Bella. I want you to be happy, I do. But...I'm falling _in_ love with you. And I'm sorry, I know that this is incredibly selfish, but I can't...I can't do it. I can't watch you parade around with this other guy, and kiss him, and...and just _be _with him, and act like it's no big deal when inside it's killing me."

He searched my face as I sat wide-eyed, trying to comprehend everything he had just told me. When I didn't say anything, he continued.

"Look, I know I fucked up, and that could have very well been me with you. I don't deserve any sympathy, but I—it doesn't change the way I feel. I'm sorry, Bella. I just can't do this."

I sat frozen, staring at him in shock. I barely registered his lips pressing softly against my forehead and something being slipped into my hands as he mumbled another quiet apology, then stood up. And then he was gone.

I don't know how long I sat on that bench, or how many times the 17 bus came around and stopped. I couldn't even remember going back into the apartment, or getting into bed. All I knew was that my I felt like I'd just lost a huge part of me, and no matter how much I curled up into myself, the gaping hole that formed when Edward said goodbye wasn't getting any smaller.

* * *

**End Notes: **We're nearing the end of this story, kiddies. I estimate about 2-3 chapters are left, plus an epi that's been written for ages. I'll try and work on it as much as possible, since my muse has seemingly reappeared. Review, bb's. Until next time...xx


	31. Chapter 29: Go

**Chatper Notes: **Umm...hi. Remember me? Yes, I am alive. Yes, I suck. I don't really know what else to say. When I started this chapter I wrote ten pages in one sitting. I was in a semi-depressed state so it just sort of came to me...but then I got over it, and any time I sat down and tried to write, I couldn't, because I just can't write depressed when I'm not. Alas, I forced myself during my break to at least finish this chapter. I swear I didn't realize it'd been almost a year. I have no perception of time. Anyway, hopefully with this chapter being completed, FINALLY, you will all see that even though I may take eons to update, I am dedicated to and WILL finish this story. So there's no need to blow up my inbox with crying and/or rude messages about how I don't care about this story or how messed up it is not to finish it. I WILL. OKAY. Thank you in advance to the two readers I probably have left. haha. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters. Thankfully. Some of them get on my nerves, ya digg?

**So since it's been a while I'll do a quick recap: Bella got yelled at by Rosalie for being a bitch, they made up, Edward got emo and stormed out of what should have been a jovial (lol jk) dinner party, Edward told Bella in the middle of the night he loved her and couldn't stand to see her with another man, gave her a card, then walked out of her life indefinitely. Bada bing, bada boom, you're caught up. Onward!**

* * *

_-B-_

My life was shit. I couldn't exactly expect sympathy, though. It was my fault.

It'd been six days since Edward had walked out of my life. I hadn't seen him at all. He hadn't shown up to his tutoring sessions, which made me worry. I wasn't sure what I'd expected. If he didn't want to me in his life, why would me tutoring him be the exception? I felt even worse because he'd been doing so well, and I didn't want something like this to affect his progress. All I could do was hold out hope that he'd show up, though.

I'd skipped school the day after it had happened. I hadn't slept at all that night, and I didn't want to even get out of bed. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to go to class and be productive. It was only when I'd gotten up to use the restroom that I saw an envelope on my bedroom floor. I'd wondered briefly where it had come from, but then I vaguely remembered feeling something in my hands after Edward had gotten up and left. I picked it up and turned it over, but when I saw my name written in his perfect handwriting my eyes welled up with tears. I slipped it in one of my desk drawers for safe keeping. Whatever was in that envelope would have to wait until I could handle it.

I wanted to be angry with him, but I couldn't. I was too depressed. I couldn't blame him, either. Hadn't I essentially done the same thing to him? I'd avoided him at all costs – I even went so far as to leave the _state_ to run away from my problems. If I was being honest, I hadn't even dealt with it when I came back. I simply shut myself off from him emotionally because I didn't want to get hurt again, even though he'd tried to prove he would avoid it at all costs. And he'd accepted it. He always accepted things I did.

Fuck, I missed him.

My gaze traveled to the drawer the envelope from him resided in, and without realizing it, I'd stood up from my bed and made my way towards it. I opened the drawer and carefully pulled out the envelope, then sat down at my desk, staring at it. After a few moments, I opened it, and, with shaky hands, extracted a card. The front of it had a picture of a large moon and stars above a lake covered in lily pads; the background colors a variation of pinks. The print read:

_I'm giving you this card for two reasons.. First of all, I want to tell you that I hope your day is filled with sunshine and smiles! And the other reason? I just wanted to pass along a little reminder that will always be true..._

I smiled and opened the card to find Edward's handwriting covering almost every inch of the blank surface on both the left and right side. I lifted the card closer to my face, as he'd had to write somewhat small, and began reading.

_Bella,_

_I'm not going to pretend like this was my idea and take all the credit. Alice is and forever will be the mastermind behind most of what I do. Sometimes I miss the most obvious things, and she steers me in the right direction. Have no fear, though – the words I am about to write are all mine._

_Ah, where do I start? When your snarky ass entered my life, I thought to myself, "You must have done something really, really bad in your past life to get dealt this crap." You pissed me the hell off like no other, and I wasn't quite sure why. Then I got to know you, and even though I still couldn't understand how you'd gotten to me the way you had, I figured it didn't matter. We were good, and we rarely got into any arguments. But then I started noticing that, while I wasn't a raging lunatic around you anymore, you were bringing out different things – things I hadn't dealt with in a long, long time: jealousy, extreme protectiveness, and...this insatiable desire to keep you happy all the time, at any cost. _

_That in itself is a huge obstacle. You don't like anybody insinuating that you can't take care of yourself, and you're a total bitch sometimes. _

I stared at the card with furrowed eyebrows, slightly pissed off. Well, it had started off nice. I wasn't exactly expecting an insult to be tossed in the mix.

_I'm not going to pretend like I don't know that. (You know it, too, so wipe that offended look off your face. :P) _

My expression smoothed out then, and I pursed my lips to keep from smiling. He knew me well.

_You're sarcastic, and sometimes (read: most of the time) you're kind of irrational. It's not easy keeping a smile on your face. But you don't take anybody's shit. You're a strong person, and I respect that so much more than you could know. You're loyal, witty, you have awesome taste in music, and you're probably the best road trip buddy a person could ask for. (I just snorted really loud because I thought of your little bathroom excursion in Oregon. I would give you permission to smack me for laughing at your misfortune, but Emmett just threw something at my head and told me to shut up because he's trying to sleep. I think that's punishment enough.)_

_I just love being around you. Even if I'm having a shitty day, my mood brightens considerably when I'm around you. Yes, admittedly, you have brought out the absolute worst in me in the past. Mainly, though, you only bring out the better side of me. And - forgive me if I sound a little arrogant this assumption – I think that smile I love to see is on your face a lot more, and your mood is better as a whole, when you're around me. I think – I hope – you feel that I bring out the best in you, too._

_I've had feelings for you for a while now. I was just too afraid to admit it. I didn't know what to do with these feelings, and that obviously fucked everything up. But I'm trying to make it up to you; show you everything I was too scared to say before. It may very well not make a damn bit of difference to you, and I guess I'll just have to accept it if that's the case. But I have to try. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my once empty life is now fulfilled; your face shot across my abysmal sky and brightened everything – no, I'm totally kidding. That's just stupid. But in all seriousness, you...you're just _right_, Bella. You feel right. I don't know how else to put it._

_I'm running out of room to write. Thank God Alice got the big card, right? Ha. Anyway, by the time this card reaches you, I may have already grown the balls to tell you all this to your face. Knowing how I am when it comes to you, though, the probability of that happening isn't too great. I don't know when you'll get this, honestly. I'm hoping these words will have the desired effect. Even if they don't, though, I think I got my point across. The ball is in your court now, Bella. Just know, no matter what you say or do, you're still my girl, and..._

Printed in the center of the right side was:

_I still think that the moon and the stars revolve around you!_

_I love you_

Underneath that, once again in his handwriting, was:

_Way too much for my own good, really. _

_xx_

_Edward_

I set the card down in my lap, my vision blurred by unshed tears. I didn't know what to think about everything he'd said. I had absolutely no idea what to do about Edward, or if at this point it even mattered to him anymore. What I did know, though, was that I still had feelings for him. I'd been unintentionally stringing Jace along, and I felt lower than I'd ever felt in my life. I did genuinely like Jace, but it wasn't the same as it was with Edward. It didn't even compare, and I always knew that. Rosalie really had been right; I had acted no better than Edward had. I'd been worse, because I kept it going, even though I knew I was never going to feel for him what I'd felt for Edward. I wanted to feel that way about Jace, and I guess I thought if I kept it up, if I tried a little harder, it would happen. How stupid could I get?

I closed my eyes tightly and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. I wasn't sure of anything at that moment, except that Jace deserved better than all this. I reached for my phone and dialed his number, taking a deep breath as it rang.

"Hey," he said immediately upon answering.

"Hey," I replied softly. "Are you busy?"

"Nope. Just got out of my last class of the day. What's up?"

"I—we need to talk. Can you meet me in about fifteen minutes?"

"Okay," he said cautiously. "Cafe Rosso?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I agreed, not missing the irony of the location.

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My eyes were blood-shot and glossed over; my nose was red at the tip. I looked like hell. With a resigned sigh, I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and started toward the front door.

I was going to make this right.

º

Jace stared at me across the table, spinning his coffee cup between his hands. I'd just spilled my guts to him, told him everything I was thinking and feeling, and in between all of that kept apologizing profusely for being such a horrible person, bringing him into all of this, and wasting his time.

"Well," he sighed, "I can't say any of this surprises me. Honestly, I've been kind of expecting it ever since the dinner fiasco."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked.

"Why didn't _you_?" he countered. I got the point.

"I'm sorry, Jace," I repeated. "I really do like you, it's just..."

"...not the same," he finished, a small smile on his face. "You can't help how you feel, Bella. It happens."

I stared at him in amazement, shaking my head slightly. "Why are you being so nice about this? You should be yelling and causing a scene, and telling me what a bitch I am, and how much better you are than me, anyway."

"First of all," he started in a stern voice, which made me smile despite myself, "I'm not better than you. Secondly, do I seem like the type of person to yell and cause a scene?" I shook my head, still smiling. "Right, so why would I do that now? Thirdly...is that what you want me to do?"

"Honestly...kind of." I chuckled.

"Then why would I give you the satisfaction of getting what you want?" he asked teasingly, winking at me.

"You really are better than me, Jace," I said seriously. "You can and will do so much better."

"Ay, Bella." He shook his head and sighed. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"I think I'm a lost cause," I muttered.

"That's debatable," he said. I smirked picked at my nails. "So what are you going to do, then?"

"About what?" I asked.

"Edward..." he trailed off.

"I don't know." I pursed my lips. "I don't think he wants a whole lot to do with me anymore. I'm not sure there's anything for me to do."

"Bella," he started, "listen. If he really feels for you like he says he does – which, from the sound of it, he does - that's not something that goes away overnight. He still feels that way about you."

I chewed on my bottom lip as I contemplated what he said. I didn't want to think that there was any chance he could be right for fear of being even more crushed than I already was, but I couldn't help the infinitesimal amount of hope I felt that maybe it wasn't _really_ the end.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I didn't fall in love with you," he said jokingly.

"You wouldn't have anyway," I replied distractedly. "You're sane."

He laughed. "What does that make him, then?"

"Just as fucked up as I am." I smirked.

"Bella," he sighed.

"Jace," I replied mockingly.

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I do," I said.

"Are you _in_ love with him?"

"I..." I trailed off, furrowing my eyebrows. "I don't know."

"What's holding you back?"

"I'm scared," I replied honestly. "I don't want to get hurt again."

"That's the worst reason ever," he said, slightly exasperated.

"How so?" I asked defensively. Personally, I thought it was a perfectly legitimate reason.

"Bella...you're always going to get hurt at some point, just like you'll hurt other people. It may not be intentional, but it's unavoidable." I cringed slightly. He was exhibit A of that sentiment; how ironic for him to be telling me that. "You can't go through life being afraid to open up because you're scared of getting hurt. Sometimes getting hurt is the best thing for us. It's never in vain. But if you keep shutting yourself down to avoid the pain, you're going to miss out on some really amazing things."

I stared down at my hands and picked at my nails. I knew he was right, but it was easier said than done.

"I don't want you to miss out," he continued. "Do you?" I shook my head, chewing on the inside of my bottom lip to distract myself from the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Then...I think you should give it a go with him. If it doesn't work out, well, then it doesn't work out. You're no worse off than you are now. But at least you'll never have to wonder."

"That's the last thing I want," I murmured. "I just...don't know if I can do it. Not yet. I wouldn't even know what to say, or how to go about it, or—"

"You don't need to know," he interrupted. "This isn't really the sort of thing that should be planned out word for word. I know it sounds cliché, and it's easier said than done, but spontaneity is golden in these situations."

"I've never been good with spontaneity," I muttered.

"Well, then I suggest you suck it up and work on it instead of whining." I attempted to give him a dirty look, but I couldn't help chuckling upon seeing his teasing grin. We sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, looking on at each other with small smiles.

"Would it be too much to ask for us to still hang out?" I asked, my smile fading slightly at the notion that he could very well say no. I wouldn't blame him at all, either. I didn't deserve his understanding nature; I was fortunate enough to not have him throw his coffee in my face then storm off, calling me every name in the book. I didn't know what made me think I had the right to ask for friendship, too – other than being selfish, of course.

"I suppose not," he replied, heaving a dramatic sigh then winking at me. "I still like you, Bella – even if it can only be as a friend."

I grinned at him, noting that I'd smiled more in the time we'd just spent together than I had the entire past week, and appreciating him even more for putting our situation aside to help me out as a friend. "You're good people, kid," I said finally.

"First of all, I know," he started, and I snorted. "Secondly, I'm older than you are, so if this is ever going to work, you don't get to call me 'kid'."

I laughed. "Okay, okay. Deal."

"Glad we could come to this understanding," he said. He glanced at his phone, sighed, then looked at me with his head tilted to the side slightly. "I should probably get going. I'm supposed to meet Chris for a movie in about an hour."

I nodded and we both rose out of our chairs, standing awkwardly a few feet apart. I chewed on the inside of my lip. I knew he'd said we could still be friends, but I didn't know if it was appropriate to hug him right at this moment.

"Well, are you gonna hug me goodbye or not, _kid_?" he asked.

"Real cute," I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes as I walked into his open arms. He hugged me tightly, swaying side to side, before letting me go and resting his hands on my shoulders momentarily.

"I'll talk to you later, yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," I agreed softly, nodding my head.

"You'll be fine. Remember what I said." He nicked my chin gently with his knuckles then walked around me to leave with one last encouraging smile on his lips.

God, I hoped he was right.

* * *

_-E-_

I couldn't speak objectively, but I was fairly certain I'd had the worst week in the history of bad weeks. Usually when people said that they were just being dramatic, however, I felt that my statement was true with the utmost conviction.

I had slipped into a mild depression - one that not only made me lose sleep, but apparently was accompanied with a repellant. Nobody wanted to be around me. It was like my mood was contagious. I couldn't really be upset. If I had the option, I would have steered clear of me, too. It also could have been due to the fact that all I'd been doing was laying in bed, blasting Tegan and Sara's album, _The Con, _on repeat. Nobody else seemed to appreciate the emotional lyrics. Tegan Quin and I had an understanding, you see. A connection of sorts. All I had to do was think to myself,_ It's okay, Tegan, I really like to cry, too_, and all was well...then I listened to _Call It Off_ and wept silently.

I was officially a pussy.

With the lack of sleep came a foreign and unwelcome clumsiness. In the last four days I had walked into a door frame, smacked myself in the face with the freezer door, dropped the soap bottle on the top of my foot so many times I was almost certain I had a fracture somewhere, and tripped over countless wall corners. Last, but not least, I was heartbroken and alone. I knew that was by my own doing, mostly, but it didn't mean I couldn't mope about it.

Those were just the more common mishaps that had taken place over the last week. As I said, worst week in history.

I laid in bed with my eyes closed, listening to – you got it – _Call It Off_ (sans the weeping, thank God) when I heard the door being flung open.

"What the fuck is this?"

I sighed through my nose. Alice was damn near the last person I wanted to see right now.

"Tegan and Sara," I muttered, my eyes still closed. "Don't hate on the music."

"I'm not _hating_ on the music," she mocked. "What I'm _hating_ on is you. Look at you; do you have any idea how you look right now? Pathetic," she continued without letting me answer – not that I would have anyway. She paused for a few moments, then said, "This song sounds depressing as hell. Seriously, my mood has dropped exponentially and I've barely heard ten seconds of it. How many times have you listened to it?"

"I lost count after twenty," I said, disinterested. Suddenly the music ended abruptly, and I opened my eyes to see Alice popping the CD back into its case and shoving it in her purse. I sat up, on the verge of protesting, but the sharp look she sent my way stopped me short.

"This ends now," she said sternly, and I briefly fought the urge to laugh as it reminded me of the way Chazz Michael Michaels said "This ends _tonight_" in Blades of Glory. Instead, I simply sat motionless, waiting for her to continue. She stood in the middle of my room, her arms crossed, staring at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked finally, slightly annoyed.

"_Get up_," she ordered, moving to my side, clutching my upper arm in a vice-like grip, and pulling.

"Okay, okay, okay," I relented, shaking her arm off and standing up. She looked me up and down with a critical eye, then sighed.

"I guess that'll have to do," she relented, referring to my choice of clothing. "Grab your keys, we're going out."

"Where are we going?"

"Places. Come _on_," she insisted, furrowing her eyebrows. With a sigh, I slipped on some shoes, grabbed my keys and my wallet, then followed her out of the dorm.

"Where are we going?" I asked again, once we were settled in the car.

"Half Moon Bay," she answered, pulling her legs onto the seat in a cross-legged position.

"I don't know how to get there."

"It's called Mapquest. Jesus, Edward, will you stop asking questions and just trust me?" she snapped, typing furiously on her phone. "You're driving me insane and I've only been around you for ten minutes."

I rolled my eyes and put the car in reverse. If this was supposed to be some sort of 'Cheer Edward Up' excursion, she was not doing a very good job so far.

She directed me to the highway we needed, rolled down the windows, then leaned back in her seat. We drove mostly in silence, the air rushing through the windows becoming more fresh the further away from the city we got. The smell of eucalyptus filled my nose and had an instant calming effect. I took a seemingly involuntary deep breath, holding the scent for as long as possible, before exhaling.

"I love the way it smells here," Alice said wistfully.

"Mmhm," I agreed.

"Too bad there's absolutely nothing here."

"Then why did you insist on me driving here?"

"Are you relaxed?" she questioned.

"Yes," I answered.

"Is your mind clear?"

"For the time being."

"Then there's your answer," she said in an obvious tone. I chuckled softly, shaking my head. Alice and her ways.

We didn't do much once we got to Half Moon Bay. We pulled into a small plaza and visited a coffee shop Alice claimed had muffins to die for (she wasn't kidding), then meandered through a few gift shops, pointing out some of the more ridiculous items and dressing Alice in hats, scarves, and jackets. She demanded I take pictures as she struck pose after pose, ignoring the odd stares from other visitors and somehow managing to keep a straight face while I was damn near in hysterics over how ridiculous she looked.

We left right before we thought we'd get banned from the store for life if we pulled any more antics and headed to dinner at a Thai restaurant Alice had been chomping at the bit to visit.

After looking over the menu and deciding what to eat, our waitress took our order with a huge smile and sauntered off, leaving us in comfortable silence.

Well, it _was_ comfortable, until Alice folded her arms on the table and gave me that "It's time to talk_"_ look.

"What?" I asked, glancing at her dubiously, though I knew what she was going to say.

"You know what. You've had half the day to get your mind off it, thanks to me." I rolled my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me," she scolded, "it's true. I know you're a _man_ and men don't talk about their feelings and all that stupid crap—"

"So eloquent," I muttered, interrupting her. She gave me a sharp look.

"I know that's how your mindset is," she continued, "but it's unhealthy. You're going to have a hell of a time moving on if you keep it all inside. Who better than me to talk to? I'm your best friend, and I'm an emotional girl, so I won't judge you. Unless you break down crying. Then I'll judge you, and quite possibly ask to be moved to another table."

I laughed and shook my head, but said nothing. I ran my finger down my glass, making a line through the perspiration, then sighed.

"I know you're right," I started, "but I don't really know how to go about this. I just don't...I don't. I don't talk about _feelings_."

"No better time to start," she replied, resting her chin on her palm. "You're in a restaurant full of strangers. If they happen to overhear you and make fun of you to their friends, you'll never know. You'll never see them again."

"You have amazing logic," I said, smirking slightly.

"I know."

We sat in silence as I messed with my rolled up silverware, my knee bouncing nervously under the table.

"Whenever you're ready," she stated. I nodded, but still said nothing. I inhaled deeply, tapping my fingers on the table top.

"I've got plenty of time."

"Stop pressuring me," I said through clenched teeth, exasperated.

"Okay, okay," she relented, "sorry."

I sighed and placed my hands flat on the table. "I'm depressed."

Alice didn't have to say a word for me to know what she was thinking. The look on her face clearly said, "I fucking found you on your bed listening to depressing songs, which you freely admitted to doing for God knows how long. No shit you're depressed." I ignored her unspoken words and focused on what I was trying to get out.

"I know I did it to myself," I continued slowly, "but it still sucks. I didn't _want_ to do it, you know? I just felt like I had no other choice."

"I know," she said. "You were trying to protect yourself. It's understandable."

"I couldn't watch her with him. It was too hard. And she didn't exactly try and stop me when I told her as much, so..." I trailed off, pursing my lips.

"That doesn't mean she didn't care," she replied softly. I didn't know what to say to that. I chewed on my bottom lip and tapped my fingers against the table.

"You should talk to her," she continued. I shook my head, staring at nothing in particular.

"I can't. Not now."

We sat in silence for a bit, Alice knowing better than to push it much farther. "Well," she said, "I think you'll regret it if you wait, but it's your choice."

Once again, I knew she was right, but we both knew that it didn't matter. I wouldn't, couldn't, do anything until I was ready, and at that moment I was still recovering from the initial burn. I wasn't prepared for it to potentially happen again.

Conversation was random and lighthearted from that point on. We finished up at the restaurant and headed back home. I dropped her off at her dorm, thanking her for the day I hadn't known I'd needed to get my mind off things, then headed back to my dorm.

As I walked down the hallway from the elevator, I couldn't concentrate on any one particular thing. My thoughts were so all over the place, I wasn't even registering my actions. It wasn't until the door slammed behind me that I became consciously aware of my surroundings...and what sounded like a heavy sigh, followed by, "Shh!"

I looked around, confused. "I'm losing my mind," I said to myself.

"Shhh!" I heard loudly, and at that point I knew I wasn't imagining it.

"What the fuck?" I muttered, peering into the kitchen, where I found a frazzled looking Jasper sitting at the kitchen table next to some random dark-haired dude that I'd never seen before, who was glaring at me.

"Hey..." Jasper trailed off, an apologetic yet cautious look on his face. I ignored his greeting, instead scrutinizing the stranger in my living room who I was certain had just told me to shut up.

"Did you just _shush_ me?" I asked incredulously.

"_Yes_," he replied with a scowl. I furrowed my eyebrows, staring at him slack-jawed.

"I'm sorry," I started, "who the fuck are you?"

"Oh, dear God," Jasper muttered, pressing his fingers into his eyes.

"_Sir _Alan Henson," he sneered, "and we're _trying_ to work on a project, if you don't mind."

I stared blankly at him, then looked to Jasper. "Is he for real?"

"Oh yeah," he all but whispered, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. He was clearly exhausted with the guy. I chuckled, which then turned into soft laughter that turned into straight up guffaws at the nerve of this guy.

"Okay, _Alan_," I snorted through laughter, "go on with your bad self." I walked down the hallway to my room, wiping my eyes, only to find Emmett sitting on his bed, staring at the wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked, still laughing.

"Waiting for Jasper's new _friend_ to get the hell out. That guy is an epic douche," he replied.

"Did you face his wrath, too?" I asked, climbing onto my bed.

"I got a soda from the fridge and he screamed at me like a wild banshee," he said, and I snorted. "He has issues."

"You would too if your mom named you Alan," I said.

"No truer words have been spoken," he agreed, laughing. "Not that our names are much better."

"Anything is better than _that_," I pointed out.

We made sure to steer clear of the living room until Jasper came into the room, throwing himself face down on the floor. We spent the rest of the night laughing at his expense as he recounted the horrendous four hours he'd spent with _Sir Alan_- seriously, what idiot refers to himself as _Sir _anything? Who the fuck did he think he was, Elton John? - then fell asleep after tiring ourselves out from laughing so hard. That was the first night since I left Bella on the bench that I'd had a full night's sleep.

* * *

_-B-_

It was the first week of May and the semester was officially winding down. Lectures were becoming more intense, and the workload was piling up, as expected. However, my inability to focus on much of anything long enough to absorb it was causing my anxiety to go through the roof. All I could think about was Edward – where he was, what he was doing, who he was with. I hadn't seen nor heard from him – not that I'd really expected to, but one could hope, right? - in weeks. I knew he was okay by word of mouth - at least his friends hadn't written me off – and, surprisingly, he hadn't deleted me off any social networking sites. But it wasn't the same.

I missed him terribly. All I could do was listen to sad fucking music that reminded me of him and try not to cry. I hated that I was being such a girl about it. I hated that he mattered so much to me. I hated that with every passing second, all I wanted was to find him and tell him I was sorry, that I never wanted to hurt him, that I forgave him for hurting me, but not knowing how he would react was keeping me from doing so.

I pounded my fist on my computer desk, then cringed, remembering that normal people were asleep at 2:30 in the morning. I didn't want wake Angela with my frustrations, though I had numerous times over the last few weeks. I ran my hands harshly through my hair, staring at my textbook blankly for a few moments before shoving it out of the way and opening my laptop. I decided to be a coward and, instead of talking to him face-to-face, send him a message on Facebook. Almost as soon as I hovered over the "Send Message" link, a chat from Alice popped up on my page. I furrowed my eyebrows. Not only was it the middle of the night, but Alice was hardly ever on Facebook, much less IMing me.

[Alice McCarty]

02:34

hey!

[You]

02:35

hey...what's up?

[Alice McCarty]

02:36

not much. couldn't sleep. how are you doing?

I sat there for a moment. I could lie and say the usual "Good" bullshit, or I could be honest and tell her the truth. Despite the fact that she was, first and foremost, Edward's best friend, I always felt like I could talk to Alice, and I really needed to talk to someone about all of this. Someone who hadn't heard the same shit over and over, and Alice seemed like a good candidate.

[You]

02:39

honestly? not too good

[Alice McCarty]

02:41

talk to me. what's on your mind

[You]

02:42

do you really need to ask? lol

[You]

02:48

I miss him. so much. I hate this, Alice. I hate it so much, I just want to talk to him, make him smile, make him laugh, even if it's at my expense, I don't fucking care. I'm so tired of missing him and wanting him and not having the balls to tell him. when you im'd me I was just about to message him telling him that...well, not all of it, but something along those lines...I don't know. maybe I should just let it go. maybe I'm not good for him.

I sat there for five minutes, waiting for her to respond. If it hadn't been for her still showing up as online, I would have thought she'd left. I was starting to think she'd fallen asleep at her computer when she finally replied.

[Alice McCarty]

02:53

don't message him, Bella.

My breath caught in my throat. I felt like I had been sucker punched. I didn't know what I had expected, but obviously it hadn't been that.

[You]

02:54

yeah, you're right. I should just leave him alone. I don't know what I was thinking

[Alice McCarty]

02:54

NO. adifuhasoidhjg

02:55

go. go to him. RIGHT NOW.

My breath caught in my chest again, but for different reasons. My heart started racing as soon as I read it, but I wasn't understanding why she would tell me that.

[You]

02:56

huh?

[Alice McCarty]

02:57

sdoighsdgoi GO GO GO NOW you better be getting your shoes on

[You]

02:58

i don't understand

[Alice McCarty]

02:59

you don't need to damnit! just trust me OKAY? go. get your shoes and coat and whatever else on and GO. TO. HIM. tell him all of that. TRUST ME

If it had have been anybody else telling me that, I would have said they were insane and there was no way I was going to run out of my apartment and over to the dorms at 3 in the morning to talk to him. But it _was_ Alice, and she knew him better than anybody, so I trusted her judgment. I jumped up and frantically started rushing around my room, pulling on shoes, a jacket, grabbing my keys and employee ID so I could get into the dorms without any problems. I ran out of my room, only realizing as I was running through the lobby of my complex that I hadn't said anything to Alice before leaving. I didn't stop running until I got to the dorms. It hurt to breathe, and my breathing only seemed to be getting more and more labored the more I fumbled with my ID. I finally swiped it and opened the doors, then ran to the elevators.

"Come on," I said through gritted teeth, pressing the button repeatedly. I didn't know why I was in such a hurry. It was the middle of the night, it wasn't like I had a time limit. Nonetheless, I knew that if I hadn't have had to climb thirteen flights of stairs to climb to get to him, I wouldn't be waiting for the elevator. What felt like ten years later the doors opened, and I stepped inside, instantly pressing the button for the thirteenth floor. I fidgeted anxiousy inside the shaft, silently thankful that the elevators were so fast. I shot out of the elevator once the doors slid open and ran down the hallway, not hesitating to raise my fist and bang on the door. Call me rude, but I didn't give a flying fuck if it woke anybody else up. I just needed to talk to him.

I was starting to grow nervous when two minutes later I was still banging on the door. Then I heard a loud, "I'm coming! Jesus fucking Christ," from inside and stopped. It wasn't until the door flew open to reveal a disheveled Edward that I realized I had no idea what to say. I stared at him with my mouth ajar and my eyes wide, suddenly terrified. What was I doing?

He scratched his head and looked at me with squinted eyes, blinking hard a few times before realization dawned on his face.

"Bella?"

* * *

_-E-_

I was having a dream where I was on a high speed chase in a muscle car down a long highway in the desert. I couldn't see who I was chasing, but I had a distinct feeling it was Mini-Me. Then, out of nowhere, Fabio landed on my windshield and started banging on it. I jerked awake, terrified, only to realize that the banging was very much real and coming from the front door. I looked around my dark room for a few seconds, confused and sleep-ridden, before climbing out of bed and stumbling my way down the hall.

"I'm coming!" I yelled as the banging continued, "Jesus fucking Christ." I fumbled with the locks and yanked the door open, blinded by the lights in the hallway. I squinted and groaned in pain, blinking hard to try and focus on what I could tell was a person in the doorway. When my eyes focused, I had to blink again to make sure I wasn't imagining who was standing there.

"Bella?" I asked incredulously. That was the last person I expected to see at my door in the middle of the night. "What time is it?"

"I, uh...it-it's three."

"Why are you at my door at three in the morning?" I was beyond confused.

"I...I don't know," she replied. I stared blankly at her.

"You don't know."

"I was talking to Alice because I couldn't sleep, and neither could she, and I just – I needed to talk to someone, okay? She asked me how I was and I didn't feel like lying anymore, so I started talking about you and how I miss you and I was going to message you on Facebook, but she told me not to and to just come over here right away and..."

I was stunned. I had no idea what to say. I was still disoriented from being woken up so abruptly, and here she was – Bella, this girl that I cared about, that I wanted more than I'd ever wanted anyone else, the girl that turned me down – telling me everything I'd wanted to hear from her. It was too much.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know...I don't know anything except that I want you, and I'm not even sure what—"

I didn't hesitate to pull her inside by her jacket, spin her around so her back was against the wall, and press my mouth to hers. She responded eagerly, relaxing as my hands cupped her face, deepening the kiss. I pulled away slowly, pressing my forehead against hers.

"Bella," I started with a grin on my face, "you're confusing, and infuriating, and irrational, and you never listen when I tell you not to walk alone because you could get raped, but that's everything that makes you so perfect...so fucking perfect for me."

She grinned back at me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down to her and pressing her lips against mine once again. Suddenly, everything clicked in my brain – 3 AM, she ran here alone, in the dark – and I pulled away quickly.

"What were you thinking?" I demanded, furrowing my eyebrows. "You could have been kidnapped or mugged or—"

"They wouldn't have gotten much," she interrupted.

"That's not the point," I snapped. "I've told you not to do that. You never listen to a word I say."

"Sorry, Dad," she laughed, and despite myself, I laughed too.

"What the fuck is going on?" Emmett boomed suddenly, turning on the hall light. Bella and I turned to look at him, an angry expression on his face. "No, you know what? I don't even care. I just want you to shut the fuck up, I'm trying to sleep."

Bella buried her face into my shoulder, her body shaking with laughter. "Sorry, Emmett," I said through chuckles. I pulled away from Bella and grabbed her hand, leading her to my room as Emmett eyed us with a much less hostile expression. Before he could come back in the room, I shut the door on him and locked it.

"Hey!" he shouted, jiggling the door handle. "Open the fucking door! I want to go back to sleep!"

"Then go to sleep," I replied, kissing Bella as she pulled me toward my bed.

"My bed is kind of in the room, asswipe. Where the fuck am I supposed to sleep?"

"In the living room, like a good pet," I shouted as we climbed on the bed, chuckling as he cursed me all the way down the hall.

"I missed you," she said softly, tracing my features with her fingertips.

"I missed you, too," I replied, scooting in closer to her and kissing her forehead.

"Jerk," she said, smacking my shoulder lightly. "Don't ever do that to me again. I hated it."

"Don't date other people and deny the way you feel about me and it won't be a problem," I retorted with a smirk.

"Mmm...fair enough," she agreed, then kissed my lips.

We laid side by side, kissing and touching each other innocently, for hours before curling up and falling asleep – her on her side with her back against my chest, and me with my hand in my favorite spot, as it should be.

~º~º~

We woke up around noon in the same position we fell asleep in. I kissed her cheek, not wanting to expose her to my undoubtedly horrendous morning breath. She turned to face me and we laid in comfortable silence, wrapped up in each other, for a good ten minutes before speaking.

"Are you ready to face Emmett's wrath?" I joked, rubbing her back underneath her shirt. She laughed, burying her face in my shirt.

"In a minute," she muttered. "I want to stay like this for a little while longer."

I smiled and kissed the top of her head, pulling her in closer to me. I wasn't in any hurry to go back to the real world, and anyway, who was I to argue?

* * *

**End Notes: **I can't promise an update any time soon, but what I CAN promise is that, once again, this story WILL get finished. There is only one more chapter plus an epi (that has already been written) so just hang in there, okay? Okay!


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